We have stopped for a lunch in the historical gem of eastern Slovakia (parking 4 EUR). The town of Bardejov in the Eastern part of Slovakia (UNESCO) is enhanced by the pleasant landscape with numerous landmarks. The city lies in the calm valley of the Bardejovský brook on the south-eastern foothill of the Flysch mountain of Busov. The town was referred to in the Ipatievsky annals in 1241 as the market settlement. The arrival of German colonists after the Tartar invasion gave impetus to the development of a prospering and flourishing medieval town. Royal privileges and above all the decision of Louis I of 1376 to promote Bardejov to free royal borough accelerated its further development. Bardejov lived its best times in the 15th century. It is spoken of as the “most Gothic of towns in Slovakia”. Its center consists of a set of historical buildings arranged in the area limited by an almost continuous belt of town fortifications. The principal area of the historical core is the rectangular Radničné square skirted by rows of antique burgher houses with typical gable facades. The center of the square is dominated by a former Town Hall building that was built at the outset of the 16th century (1505 – 1509). The most significant monument of the square is the Roman-Catholic Basilica of St. Egidius that is located in its northern section. The Franciscan monastery with the church is another of the town jewels. The monastery stands near the town walls, the best-preserved medieval fortification system in Slovakia. We took our lunch in ‘Culinar Caffe’ on the square (chicken soup, fried cheese with boiled potatoes, dessert, and lemonade – just 4 EUR).
Parking location – Bardejov: 49.294595N 21.277211E