Trip to Hervartov

Hi.

In this tourist post of mine, I would like to welcome you to the small village of Hervartov, which is located in eastern Slovakia. We chose to visit this village because there is a unique wooden church here, which is also listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

It's a nice day, the sun is shining, but from time to time it hides behind small clouds. It is pleasant in the car, there is a good mood. We are all looking forward to the trip and especially to the fact that we will again learn something new and find ourselves in a place where we have not been before. We turn onto a side road. The width of the road changes. It is obvious that not that many cars come here. All around there are meadows, behind which there are forests. It's a really nice road and after a while you feel like you're going to the end of the world. Nothing can be here!

And it really is. In a few minutes we pass the first houses. We entered the Hervart village. According to legend, it was founded by German loggers at the end of the 11th century. Small houses are built around the road, which are painted blue. Later we learned that they are the so-called sypance. And since I have already mentioned them, I will tell you something more about them.

Sypance were built from thinner wood at the beginning of the 20th century. They are plastered with clay on the outside, and the roof is made of straw. Grain was stored in the attic of the granary. On the ground floor there was a ladder and compartments for linen and flour. I have to say that in other villages I have not seen such granary, so for me it is a rarity.

We climb the stone steps to the church. It is located in the center of the village and is the oldest wooden church in Slovakia. Even today, ceremonies and weddings take place here. Not everyone can say that they had a wedding in a church that was built in the second half of the 15th century.

The church of St. Francis of Assisi is built of yew wood. It is covered with shingles and its architecture has been preserved almost intact. The church is very beautiful from the outside, but its greatest treasure is hidden inside.

We enter a small, quiet church that is steeped in history. As we walked in, we were greeted by a nice lady who takes care of the church and its surroundings. We sat down in the old pews and she played us recordings that talk about the church, its history and paintings.

On the right and left side we see different paintings. These were painted by Andrej Hafčík in 1665. In addition to them, we can also see Latin inscriptions on the walls. They are quotations from the Holy Scriptures.

The dominant feature of the church is the altar of St. Catherine, Virgin Mary and St. Barbara.

I climb the wooden stairs upstairs. The view from the top gives the place and the paintings on the walls a completely different perspective.

The village is beautiful, clean and even if you feel like you are at the end of the world, it is very nice here and I definitely recommend everyone to visit this corner of Slovakia.

Thank you