We established that a 20 minute walk would take us into the town but there was another alternative. High on a hill outside Levoca is Slovakia's most important pilgrimage church of Marianska Hora and a footpath from the campsite allowed us to walk to the church and then on to the town. The campsite receptionist suggested that the walk would take us 40 minutes but you would have to be very fit to do it in that time. We took best part of an hour, many steep climbs were interspersed by occasional gentle slopes and nearing the top the track became rough and muddy due to the logging activities. The walk had been through thick forest with only occasional glimpses of views but when we reached the church we were greeted by lovely views over Lovoca and the surrounding countryside. The church, dating from 1869 is an imposing building especially in its position on the steep hill. The interior is refreshingly simple and there were many pilgrims there, some walking on their knees up the steps to an area either side of the high altar. Pope John Paul II had visited here and we were beginning to think that we were following in his footsteps as this was the fourth place that we had visited that had also been visited by the pope.
We stood for a while admiring the view and then set off down the hill. This was very steep and continued without a break until we were below the level of the old town. We were rather glad that we had chosen the other footpath that at least gave us some respite during the climb. Walking up a short hill we arrived at one of the two mediaeval gates of the town , stopping briefly at the Minorite church just inside he gate before continuing to the main square, which is actually a long rectangle. In the centre of the square is the Saint James church with its plaque celebrating the visit of, you guessed it, John Paul II. We bought tickets for the next guided tour and, although this turned out only to be in Slovak, we were given a printed English guide. The building itself is impressive but the fame of the church is based on an artist known as Master Paul of Levoca. Master Paul was an early 16th century sculptor who produced the most beautiful wooden altars in Slovakia. I am generally not keen on ecclesiastical art, having seen too many paintings and icons in Roman Catholic and Orthodox countries, but I am a real convert to Master Paul's art. Saint James has the largest Gothic altar in Slovakia and this was carved by Master Paul. The 18.2m high and 6.2m wide structure is made entirely of beautifully carved wood and has a centre piece of three statues – St. James, St. John and, centre stage, the Virgin and Child. The face of Mary appears on the Slovak 100sk note. Below these statues is a 3-dimensional carving of the last supper. There are also many other carved wooden altars by Master Paul lined up on either side of the main altar and the wonderful Altar of the Nativity. We were able to admire these altars from a distance but ropes prevented us from getting close. There is however a Master Paul of Levoca Museum in the square and, after lunch we headed there. The receptionist was very helpful, speaking good English and she set up a 20 minute video in English that told us about Levoca and Master Paul. Then we went around the museum and were able to see, at very close quarters, faithful replicas of many of the carvings from St. James Church. These were made for the World Exhibitions in Brussels (1958) and Montreal (1967) and are beautifully crafted. It was really good to be able to get so close to the carving – much closer than people would ever have been able to get to the originals. The highlights were the statues from the Altar of the Nativity and the Last Supper from the high altar but there were also many other examples of Master Paul's work from other churches.
The 30 minute walk back to the campsite was pleasant, watching many cyclist and in-line skaters passing us. The latter were serious skaters going long distances often keeping up with a companion on a bicycle.
Our lunch today is worth a mention. We ate at a café with an outside terrace just off the southern end of the square. Jane chose an Hawaiian sandwich whilst I chose a dish that involved sheep's cheese. This turned out to be pasta pockets looking like miniature Cornish Pasties stuffed with sheep's cheese. They were sprinkled with those delicious, but very unhealthy little pieces of roasted pork fat that so often accompany meals in Eastern Europe. Surrounding the pasta was a clear liquid that I finally concluded was pork dripping. It was a very tasty dish and I thoroughly enjoyed it although it was a little concerning that I had selected it from the section of the menu headed 'Vegetarian Dishes'. If I had been a vegetarian, or indeed Jewish, it would have been more of a problem!
Photos: Marianska Hora seen from the Levoca old town; Levoca Town Hall and St. James Church; One of the shepherds from Master Paul's Altar of the Nativity; The wonderful 'Last Supper' from the high altar.
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