In the middle of Levoča’s great square, a town hall with arcades stands beside a church whose treasures are hidden from the street. Around them, old houses face the open space, each façade a reminder that this was once a wealthy trading town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia. The pleasure of arriving here is not just seeing a monument: it is discovering how the square, the walls and the art inside St James’s Basilica belong to the same story.
Levoča is compact enough to explore on foot, but it deserves more than a hurried circuit. Allow time for the church, the town hall and the streets around the fortifications. If you are interested in woodcarving, check the current museum arrangements before you go: an important exhibition has temporarily moved during the restoration of the House of Master Paul.
