Stará Lesná
Encyclopedia
Stará Lesná or "Old Forest" is a village
and municipality
in Kežmarok District
in the Prešov Region
in north-central Slovakia
. Stará Lesná is located in an area traditionally known as Spiš
and it is situated within the Slovak Tourism Region of the Tatras.
from the creation of the county in the second half of the 12th century to the year 1918 when Austria-Hungary
seized to exist and Czechoslovakia
was created. This northern borderland was never really inhabited by Hungarians, but up until the last world war there was a substantial population of Carpathian Germans
in Spiš or "Zips" where they began to arrive in the mid-12th century.
Stará Lesná was mentioned for the first time in 1294. The village was founded by the Berzeviczys, a family whose forefather Rutkér of Mátray (Matrei
), an ispán
, arrived to Szepes County from Tyrol
in the beginning of the 13th century.
of Stará Lesná is about 940 people.
The municipality
lies at an altitude
of 736 metres and covers an area
of 9.482km². In the north Stará Lesná is bordered by the Town of High Tatras
and the Tatra National Park
.
Line №184 of the Tatra Electric Railway
connects Stará Lesná with Tatranská Lomnica and Starý Smokovec
of which the latter is connected to Štrbské Pleso
and Poprad by line №183.
the Roman Catholic church in Stará Lesná (13th century, rebuilt in the 18th century, belfry ca. 1600) | TANAP
Museum, Tatra Nature Exposition (botanical garden) and cable way to Lomnický Peak in Tatranská Lomnica
5 | Gerlachov, highest Carpathian peak at 2 655 m | Starý Smokovec
8½ and 13 other settlements of the Town of High Tatras
| Belianska Cave
15 in the White Tatras | Castle of Kežmarok, Wooden Articular Church in Kežmarok
(part of a World Heritage Site
, WHS) in Kežmarok
12 | AquaCity, Sub-Tatran Museum and Tatras Gallery in Poprad
12; Spišská Sobota (suburb) 12; Poprad-Tatry Airport 17 | Dom Ždiar (Goral museum) in Ždiar
22 | Strážky Manor House in Spišská Belá
23 | Štrbské Pleso
24 | entrances to Slovak Paradise National Park
in Čingov 33 (near Smižany
) and Podlesok 33 (near Betlanovce
), Tomášov Viewpoint 33 (two km on foot from Spišské Tomášovce
) and Dobšinská Ice Cave
(part of a WHS
) 45 | Museum of Spiš Territory in Spišská Nová Ves 35 | Lysá Poľana (SK) 36 ╪ Łysa Polana (PL) 37 | Levoča, Spiš Castle and the Associated Cultural Monuments (WHS
); Levoča
36, Spiš Castle
53, Spišské Podhradie
50, Spišská Kapitula
50 and Žehra
55; in Levoča St. James's Cathedral (Majster Pavol
's altar) and Spiš Museum | Markušovce
Manor House and Dardanely (garden house) 44 | Castle of Stará Ľubovňa
and Skanzen (open-air traditional buildings' museum) 50 | Spišská Stará Ves (center of Zamagurie
) 51 | Red Monastery and start of Dunajec rafting in Červený Kláštor
57 in the Pieniny National Park
| Niedzica Castle
(PL) 57 | Zakopane
(PL) 58 | Liptovský Mikuláš
68 | Demänovská Cave of Liberty 81 | Jasná
(largest ski resort in the country) 82 in the Low Tatras.
Further away: Prešov
89 | Bardejov
(WHS
) 104 | Orava Castle
115 | Košice
127 | Kraków (PL) 149 | Budapest (HU) 323 | Bratislava
355 | Prague (CZ) 569.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Kežmarok District
Kežmarok District
Kežmarok District is a district inthe Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was almost entirely part of the Hungarian county of Spiš, apart from a small area in the...
in the Prešov Region
Prešov Region
The Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the...
in north-central Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. Stará Lesná is located in an area traditionally known as Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
and it is situated within the Slovak Tourism Region of the Tatras.
History
The tourism region of the Tatras encompasses today the northern half (except for a tiny tip lying in Poland) of what used to be Scepusium or Szepes County. It was a part of the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
from the creation of the county in the second half of the 12th century to the year 1918 when Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
seized to exist and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was created. This northern borderland was never really inhabited by Hungarians, but up until the last world war there was a substantial population of Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , are a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
in Spiš or "Zips" where they began to arrive in the mid-12th century.
Stará Lesná was mentioned for the first time in 1294. The village was founded by the Berzeviczys, a family whose forefather Rutkér of Mátray (Matrei
Matrei in Osttirol
Matrei in Osttirol is a municipality in the district of Lienz in Tyrol in Austria.-Location:-External links:...
), an ispán
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
, arrived to Szepes County from Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
in the beginning of the 13th century.
Geography
The populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Stará Lesná is about 940 people.
The municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
lies at an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 736 metres and covers an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 9.482km². In the north Stará Lesná is bordered by the Town of High Tatras
Vysoké Tatry (town)
Vysoké Tatry , informally Mesto Vysoké Tatry , is a town at the feet of the Slovak part of High Tatras in Slovakia including all the major resorts in that region...
and the Tatra National Park
Tatra National Park, Slovakia
Tatra National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia. It is situated in North Central Slovakia in the Tatra Mountains. The Tatra National Park protects the area of the Western Tatras and the Eastern Tatras .The National Park covers an area of 738 km² , and the buffer zone around the...
.
Line №184 of the Tatra Electric Railway
Tatra Electric Railway
The Tatra Electric Railway , colloquially Tatra Railway, is an electrified single track narrow gauge railway in the Slovak part of the Tatra mountains...
connects Stará Lesná with Tatranská Lomnica and Starý Smokovec
Starý Smokovec
Starý Smokovec is a part of the town of Vysoké Tatry in northern Slovakia in the Tatras. Its name is pronounced approximately "Star-EE Smoke-oh-vets", meaning "Old Smokovec".Starý Smokovec is a popular resort for skiing and hiking...
of which the latter is connected to Štrbské Pleso
Štrbské Pleso
Štrbské Pleso with its large glacial mountain lake is a favorite ski, tourist, and health resort in the High Tatras, Slovakia. With extensive parking facilities and a stop on the Tatra trolley and rack railway, it is a starting point for a host of popular hikes including to Kriváň and...
and Poprad by line №183.
Sights
Selected sights and locations within ~an hour's drive away (distances in kilometers):the Roman Catholic church in Stará Lesná (13th century, rebuilt in the 18th century, belfry ca. 1600) | TANAP
Tatra National Park, Slovakia
Tatra National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia. It is situated in North Central Slovakia in the Tatra Mountains. The Tatra National Park protects the area of the Western Tatras and the Eastern Tatras .The National Park covers an area of 738 km² , and the buffer zone around the...
Museum, Tatra Nature Exposition (botanical garden) and cable way to Lomnický Peak in Tatranská Lomnica
Tatranská Lomnica
Tatranská Lomnica is a town in the Slovakian part of the High Tatras mountains. It is a skiing and hiking resort best known for the cable car to Lomnický štít, one of the steepest in Europe and remarkable for its lack of support pylons between the two stations...
5 | Gerlachov, highest Carpathian peak at 2 655 m | Starý Smokovec
Starý Smokovec
Starý Smokovec is a part of the town of Vysoké Tatry in northern Slovakia in the Tatras. Its name is pronounced approximately "Star-EE Smoke-oh-vets", meaning "Old Smokovec".Starý Smokovec is a popular resort for skiing and hiking...
8½ and 13 other settlements of the Town of High Tatras
Vysoké Tatry (town)
Vysoké Tatry , informally Mesto Vysoké Tatry , is a town at the feet of the Slovak part of High Tatras in Slovakia including all the major resorts in that region...
| Belianska Cave
Belianska Cave
Belianska Cave is a stalactite cave in the Slovak part of the Tatra mountains, the largest and the only one open to the public in the Tatras. It is located above the settlement of Tatranská Kotlina, which is a part of the town of Vysoké Tatry....
15 in the White Tatras | Castle of Kežmarok, Wooden Articular Church in Kežmarok
Wooden articular church in Kežmarok
The Wooden articular church in Kežmarok is a wooden church in Kežmarok, Slovakia. The local Lutherans built it during a period of religious persecution, when they were allowed to erect only wooden churches. That is why even nails were made exclusively of wood...
(part of a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, WHS) in Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
12 | AquaCity, Sub-Tatran Museum and Tatras Gallery in Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
12; Spišská Sobota (suburb) 12; Poprad-Tatry Airport 17 | Dom Ždiar (Goral museum) in Ždiar
Ždiar
Ždiar is a village and municipality in the Poprad District in the Prešov Region in Spiš in northern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an elevation of 896 metres and covers an area of 27.323 km². It has a population of about 1,340 people....
22 | Strážky Manor House in Spišská Belá
Spišská Belá
Spišská Belá is a town in the Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region in Spiš in northern Slovakia.-History:The town was first mentioned in historical records in 1263. The town received town rights in 1271. Scientist and inventor Joseph Petzval was born here in 1807. The town center has been...
23 | Štrbské Pleso
Štrbské pleso
Štrbské pleso is a picturesque mountain lake of glacial origin and a top tourist destination in the High Tatras, Slovakia. It is the second largest glacial lake on the Slovak side of the High Tatras, after Hincovo pleso...
24 | entrances to Slovak Paradise National Park
Slovak Paradise National Park
Slovak Paradise National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia, situated in East Slovakia. The National Park protects the area of the Slovak Paradise mountain range, which is located in the north of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains .The National Park covers an area of 197.63 km² ,...
in Čingov 33 (near Smižany
Smižany
Smižany is a large village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-History:Excavations in Čingov, just south of the village, have found traces of Stone Age settlement. The village was settled by German settlers in 1242...
) and Podlesok 33 (near Betlanovce
Betlanovce
Betlanovce is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 546 metres and covers an area of 10.124km².It has a population of about 638 people....
), Tomášov Viewpoint 33 (two km on foot from Spišské Tomášovce
Spišské Tomášovce
Spišské Tomášovce is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 532 metres and covers an area of 13.621km²....
) and Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave or Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa is an ice cave in Slovakia, near the mining town of Dobšiná in the Slovak Paradise. Since 2000 it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a part of Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site...
(part of a WHS
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
) 45 | Museum of Spiš Territory in Spišská Nová Ves 35 | Lysá Poľana (SK) 36 ╪ Łysa Polana (PL) 37 | Levoča, Spiš Castle and the Associated Cultural Monuments (WHS
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
); Levoča
Levoca
Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
36, Spiš Castle
Spiš Castle
The ruins of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš...
53, Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie is a town in Spiš in the Prešov Region of Slovakia. Its population is 3,826.Spišské Podhradie is situated at the foot of the hill of Spiš Castle. It had a Zipser German settlement, with its own church and priest, in 1174...
50, Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula, is an exceptionally well-preserved ecclesiastical town on the outskirts of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia, and overlooking Spiš Castle. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.-Town and history:The town consists of St....
50 and Žehra
Žehra
For a list of people and places with the name Zehra or its variants, see Zehra Žehra is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:...
55; in Levoča St. James's Cathedral (Majster Pavol
Master Paul of Levoca
Master Paul of Levoča was a medieval carver and sculptor of the15th and 16th century, active mostly in the town of Levoča , in the Kingdom of Hungary, in what is today eastern Slovakia....
's altar) and Spiš Museum | Markušovce
Markušovce
Markušovce is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-History:Markušovce was founded in the 12th century before the Tatar invasions of the region. The village was owned by the Mariassy family from the 13th century, and many...
Manor House and Dardanely (garden house) 44 | Castle of Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
and Skanzen (open-air traditional buildings' museum) 50 | Spišská Stará Ves (center of Zamagurie
Zamagurie
Zamagurie is an area in the north of the Spiš region, between the Spišská Magura in the south, Dunajec river in the north and Białka river in the west...
) 51 | Red Monastery and start of Dunajec rafting in Červený Kláštor
Cervený Kláštor
This is an article about the Slovakian village. For the monastery see, Červený Kláštor Červený Kláštor is a small village and municipality in the far north Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia, near the Polish border in the Zamagurie region.-History:A Camaldolese Monastery...
57 in the Pieniny National Park
Pieniny National Park (Slovakia)
Pieniny National Park is a national park in northern Slovakia. The park is located in the western Pieniny Mountains on the border with Poland. It is the smallest national park in Slovakia with an area of 37.5 km² and its buffer zone covers an area of 224.44 km² .It lies in the districts of...
| Niedzica Castle
Niedzica Castle
Niedzica Castle also known as Dunajec Castle , is located in the southernmost part of Poland in Niedzica . It was erected between the years 1320 and 1326 by Kokos of Brezovica on the site of an ancient stronghold surrounded by earthen walls in the Pieniny mountains...
(PL) 57 | Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
(PL) 58 | Liptovský Mikuláš
Liptovský Mikuláš
Liptovský Mikuláš is a town in northern Slovakia, on the Váh River. It lies in the Liptov region, in Liptov Basin near the Low Tatra and Tatra mountains...
68 | Demänovská Cave of Liberty 81 | Jasná
Jasná
Jasná is a small village situated in central Slovakia, in the Low Tatras mountains. It is a part of the municipality Demänovská Dolina.Jasná ski resort has over twenty four lifts on both sides of the Chopok Mountain – including six chair lifts and a cable car...
(largest ski resort in the country) 82 in the Low Tatras.
Further away: Prešov
Prešov
Prešov Historically, the city has been known in German as Eperies , Eperjes in Hungarian, Fragopolis in Latin, Preszów in Polish, Peryeshis in Romany, Пряшев in Russian and Пряшів in Rusyn and Ukrainian.-Characteristics:The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic...
89 | Bardejov
Bardejov
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 center...
(WHS
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
) 104 | Orava Castle
Orava (castle)
Orava Castle is situated on a high rock above Orava river. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia. The castle was built in the thirteenth century...
115 | Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
127 | Kraków (PL) 149 | Budapest (HU) 323 | Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
355 | Prague (CZ) 569.
External links
- Official website of the municipality of Stará Lesná
- Weather forecast for Stará Lesná
- Public transport in Poprad & High Tatras
- Tourist website of Spiš
- High Tatras portal
- "Tatry - mysterium" clip (YouTube)
- Tatra National Park (TANAP), Slovakia
- Pieniny National Park (PIENAP), Slovakia
- Slovak Paradise National Park
- Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT)
- World Heritage in Slovakia
- National Tourism Portal of Slovakia