Everything about Bardejov totally explained
Bardejov (;,, ) is a town in North-Eastern
Slovakia. It is situated in the
Šariš region and has about 33,000 inhabitants. The spa town, mentioned for the first time in 1241, exhibits numerous cultural monuments in its completely intact medieval town centre. The town is one of
UNESCO's
World Heritage Sites.
Name
The name of the town comes from the Hungarian word
"bárd" (
English: "bard/chopper"), which indicated an amount of territory, which could be chopped down by one man in one day. In the Hungarian name (Bártfa), the
"fa" (English: "tree") suffix came later, and it also changed the last letter of "
bárd" to "
bárt", for an easier pronunciation.
History
The territory of present-day Bardejov has attracted settlers since the
Stone Age. However, the first written reference to the town dates back to the 1240s, when monks from Bardejov complained to the King
Béla IV about a violation of the town’s borders by
Prešov. By that time, an important church of
St. Aegidius was already built. Heavily fortified in the 14th century, the town became a centre of trade with
Poland. More than 50
guilds controlled the flourishing economy. Bardejov gained the status of a royal town in 1376, later becoming a
free royal town. The town’s golden age ended in the 16th century, when several wars, pandemics, and other disasters plagued the country.
Landmarks
Bardejov is dominated by the monumental church of
St. Aegidius, mentioned for the first time in 1247. A three nave basilica with multiple chapels was completed by the 15th century. It hosts eleven precious
Gothic winged altars with panel paintings. The central square (Slovak:
Radničné námestie), which used to be the town’s medieval marketplace, is now surrounded by well-preserved
Gothic and
Renaissance burghers’ houses. One of the most interesting buildings is the town hall, built in 1505. The lower part was built in the Gothic style, while the upper part is already in the Renaissance style. The fortification system from the 14th and 15th centuries is listed by the European Fund of Cultural Heritage as one of the most elaborate and best preserved medieval fortifications in Slovakia.
Bardejov is also an important
spa town. The therapeutic mineral water springs help people with oncological, blood circulation, and digestive tract problems. The old spa complex, not far from downtown Bardejov, also hosts an open air museum of folk architecture.
Town quarters
The town consists of the following quarters:
- Bardejov
- Bardejovská Nová Ves
- Bardejovská Zábava
- Bardejovské Kúpele
- Dlhá Lúka (annexed in 1971)
- Mihaľov
Demographics
Bardejov has a population of 33,374 (as of December 31, 2005). According to the 2001
census, 91.3% of inhabitants were
Slovaks, 2.6%
Roma, 2.5%
Rusyns, and 1.4%
Ukrainians. The religious make-up was 63.2%
Roman Catholics, 16.9%
Greek Catholics, 7.6%
Lutherans and 4.3%
Eastern Orthodox.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Bardejov'.
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