Leutschau: UNESCO Old Town and Living History

Leutschau, known as Levoča in Slovak, is home to a historic old town within a fortification system. The old town was founded in the 13th and 14th centuries and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Its history is reflected in significant religious buildings as well as townhouses, museums and the preserved fortification system.

Culture

The Basilica of St. James, dating from the 14th century, contains 11 Gothic and Renaissance altars. These include the 18.62-metre-high late Gothic winged altar, considered the tallest of its kind in the world and created in the workshop of Majster Pavol z Levoče. The house of this master has preserved its appearance from the 15th to the 16th century and houses an exhibition by the Spiš Museum about his life and work. During the reconstruction of the house, its exhibits are temporarily being displayed in the historic Minorite monastery, in the cloister and the chapter house.

The Historic Town Hall houses a permanent exhibition on the history of Levoča. Other historic structures include the fortification system, which is 2.5 kilometres long and retains two thirds of its original length. It is considered the best-preserved fortification system in Slovakia. The Minorite monastery has an arcade, considered the only one of its kind in Slovakia. The Old Minorite Church was built together with the adjoining monastery in the first half of the 14th century. The Baroque Church of the Holy Spirit and the Minorite monastery were built between 1748 and 1755.

Several historic townhouses also preserve special details. The oldest core of the townhouse containing the Breuer printing works consists of two hall houses from the 14th century. The Máriássy House has a Renaissance courtyard with arcades, typical of Levoča. The Levoča City Gallery is located in this house on Námestie Majstra Pavla in Levoča. The town theatre dates back to the 13th century and is considered the second-oldest theatre in Slovakia. The medieval pillory, known as the cage of shame, was donated to the city of Levoča by a family in 1933.

Pilgrimage

Mariánska hora is located above Levoča and is one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites in Slovakia. After climbing 216 steps, visitors can look out from the tower of the Basilica of St. James over the historic old town of Levoča, the High and Low Tatras, Slovak Paradise and Mariánska hora.

Visit

The Museum of Special Education in Levoča is an experiential and interactive museum with a nationwide focus. Levoča Tourist Information offers guided city tours with qualified guides. Upon request, it also arranges tours with external guides, including for ordinary visitors. Two free visitor car parks are available within Levoča’s fortification system.

A 21.7-kilometre cycling route leads from Levoča via Zbojnícka lúka, Brezová, Hradisko, Tvarožná and Ľubica to Kežmarok. For the 2026 pilgrimage season, regional bus connections were planned to serve Levoča bus station, the Levoča, Košická brána stop, and Mariánska hora.

When considering a ski hotel in Leutschau, you can compare the current offer pages with one another. Pay attention to the exact location, the stated type of accommodation, occupancy and included services. You should also check the individual price components as well as the booking and cancellation conditions. This allows you to compare the terms of each offer independently.

For the higher-level travel overview: Levoča District.