Prešov

Prešov is Slovakia's third-largest city and the administrative and cultural heart of the east, set in the historic Šariš region where the Torysa and Sekčov rivers meet. Its compact centre is known for one of the country's finest ensembles of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, centred on the long, sloping Hlavná ulica.

The city's landmark spine is Hlavná ulica, lined with ornate burgher houses and anchored by the mid-14th-century St. Nicholas Co-Cathedral and the Neptune Fountain. Nearby stand the Rákóczi Palace, now the Regional Museum, and the Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity; centuries of schooling and church life earned Prešov the nickname "Athens above Torysa".

Prešov is also a seat of Greek Catholic and Orthodox church life, home to the University of Prešov and the Jonáš Záborský Theatre. In the Solivar district, a 17th-century complex of salt wells, brine tanks and warehouses survives as a rare technical monument, while the ruined Šariš Castle overlooks the valley a short drive to the northwest.

Business travellers come for the city's engineering, electrical and clothing industries and its regional role, and Prešov City Days and the Trinity Fair fill the centre with concerts, crafts and markets each June. Food and drink mix Slovak staples such as bryndzové halušky and pirohy with Šariš beer brewed in nearby Veľký Šariš.

Prešov's compact, walkable core makes it easy to explore, while its position between Košice, the High Tatras and the UNESCO-listed town of Bardejov gives leisure and business visitors a practical base for eastern Slovakia.