Bardejov in English
A small Gothic town in northeast Slovakia with a UNESCO-listed square, a spa town on its doorstep and a hearty regional kitchen.
Bardejov sits in the hills of Šariš, the region in the far northeast of Slovakia, not far from the Polish border. It is a compact place, and most visitors come for the same three reasons: the old town, the spa and the food. This page gives you a quick orientation in English. Most of our detailed articles are in Slovak, but the links below show you where to look, and a browser translation will do the rest.
The old town
The historic centre of Bardejov is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its heart is a long, gently sloping square lined with narrow burgher houses, their gables facing the street. At the top end stands the Basilica of St Giles, a large Gothic church known for its carved and painted winged altars, and in the middle of the square is the old town hall, a small building where late Gothic meets early Renaissance. Stretches of the medieval walls and bastions still ring the centre, and just outside them lies the former Jewish suburb with its synagogue buildings. Our article on the historic sights (in Slovak) covers them in more depth.
The spa town and the countryside
A few kilometres north of the town, in a wooded valley, is Bardejovské Kúpele, a spa town built around mineral springs. Even if you are not taking a cure, it is a pleasant place for a walk: there is a colonnade, a park and an open-air museum of folk architecture with wooden houses and churches brought from villages across the region. Further afield, the hills hide wooden churches, a castle ruin and quiet cycling roads.
Food and staying over
Eastern Slovak cooking is filling and simple: dumplings with sheep’s cheese, filled pierogi, sauerkraut soup and potato flatbreads. Read about the regional cuisine and about eating out in Bardejov, including the weekday lunch menu that many places offer. If you plan to spend the night, our English page on where to stay in Bardejov explains the options.
This is an independent guide, not a restaurant, hotel or tourist office, and it takes no bookings. More about the project is on the about page.