As the weather in the High Tatras was not pleasant for hiking, we decided to get out of Tatranska Lomnica and to make a drive through the Spiš region. Our first stop was a little village – Žehra, famous for the church standing above the village.
Some facts at the beginning:
The church was built in the 13th century in Romanic style and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (since 1993 as part of Spiš castle and Levoča region). There is also notable impact of other architectonic styles, which were added during the next centuries. This small church might seem to be a bit obscure, but it hides a high artistic value in form of wall-paintings and furniture which has been preserved since the 13th century and later periods. It is incredible, when you think how great work the artisans have done, when we are able to see their master pieces even 700 years later.
The church was built on a small hill and is visible from afar. You can see it even from the Spiš castle. The first thing what caught my attention while approaching closer to the church, was the onion shaped cupola, which was added during the 18th century.
We visited the church during Easter, which is the greatest Christian feast, so there were people praying inside and it was inappropriate to take photos, but you can see how the interior looks like here. Otherwise you can visit the church during the whole year except Sundays.
The church itself was very small. On the one hand the church is decently furnished, especially in comparison with other churches/cathedrals in every bigger European city, which are embellished with many golden things and ornaments, but on the other hand you can see all those beautiful paintings, which don’t look so fancy at first sight but if you look closely, you will understand why they are valuable from a cultural point of view.
If you would like to see it with your own eyes, don´t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] for further information.
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