Prešov: Culture, Nature Trails and Cycling Routes

Prešov between Urban History and Landscapes

Prešov combines a multifaceted urban history with paths through woodland and landscape areas. Here, you can combine historic ecclesiastical buildings and museums with special technical monuments, guided exhibitions, short educational trails or cycling routes of varying difficulty. Local cuisine is also part of the cityscape: the Prešov Street Food Festival brings local and international cuisine as well as food trucks to the city centre.

Historic Centre and Special Ecclesiastical Buildings

The buildings in Prešov’s historic centre are part of the urban monument reserve. Notable buildings include the Konkatedrála sv. Mikuláša, the only preserved Gothic ecclesiastical building in Prešov. The Chrám Svätej Trojice is a Renaissance church and one of the few Protestant churches built during the Reformation. Its crypt contains the remains of 17 Jesuit monks and their superior.

The Chrám Svätého Jána Krstiteľa was rebuilt in Baroque form in the 18th century, giving it its present appearance. The Caraffova väznica is one of the few preserved Gothic monuments in Prešov and now serves as a municipal gallery. The Rákociho palác houses the Krajské múzeum with a permanent exhibition on the history of Prešov.

Synagogue and Salt Museum

The Orthodox Synagogue of Prešov was built in the Moorish style in 1898 and is now the only functioning synagogue in Prešov. The Mestské múzeum Synagóga offers guided tours with commentary through a Judaica exhibition in the Orthodox Synagogue. Alongside the architecture, the city’s Jewish history is therefore also a central focus.

Solivar in Prešov is a national cultural monument and a unique complex of technical facilities for extracting and boiling salt from brine dating from the 17th century. A guided tour of the Solivar museum complex takes about 90 minutes. The site adds an illustrative chapter on historical salt production to the city’s ecclesiastical buildings and urban history.

Educational Trails and Cycling

For outdoor activities, the Tri Jarky nature ascent trail runs from the Za Kalváriou area to Malkovská hôrka and is intended for pedestrians and cyclists. The Kvašná voda educational trail runs through Cemjata forest park, a suburban area of Prešov, and has nine information stations.

A shorter option is the forestry educational trail in the locality of Malý Borkút. It is 500 metres long, runs through easy terrain and is also suitable for families with children. Those looking for varying levels of difficulty when cycling will find eight routes with a total length of about 20 kilometres in Prešov’s singletrack network.

Further Places for Orientation

For further orientation when making your selection, you can also visit Hermanovce, Fričovce, Veľký Šariš, Preschau, Trnkov, Ľubotice and Kapušany.

More about the Destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Presov – City of Three Cultures.

To the higher-level travel overview: Preschau.