Bardejov: historic town centre and St Giles’ Basilica

A town that kept its Middle Ages

Bardejov lies in north-eastern Slovakia, in the Šariš region, on the river Topľa not far from the Polish border. The first written mention of the settlement dates from 1241, and in 1376 King Louis I granted Bardejov the status of a free royal town. In the 14th and 15th centuries dozens of crafts and guilds worked here, the town grew rich on trade, linen in particular, and surrounded itself with walls, towers and gates. Then came epidemics, wars and fires, and Bardejov declined for a long time — which is exactly why its medieval core has come down to us almost without later rebuilding.

In 1950 the centre was declared an urban heritage reserve, in 1986 the town received a European gold medal for saving its monuments, and in 2000 the historic core together with a small Jewish quarter was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

What to see

• Town Hall Square (Radničné námestie) — a large rectangular square lined on three sides by burghers’ houses with Gothic and Renaissance features. In the middle stands the town hall, built from 1505 by Master Alexander; the Renaissance upper floor and oriel were added by masters Alexius and Ján of Prešov. Today the town hall houses the Šariš Museum’s historical exhibition “Free Royal Town of Bardejov”.
• St Giles’ Basilica — a three-aisled Gothic church on the north side of the square. Construction ran from the mid-14th to the late 15th century; after a fire it was restored in neo-Gothic style in 1878–1899. Its main treasure is 11 Gothic winged altarpieces with panel paintings, along with a stone sacrament house of 1465. In summer you can climb the tower for a view of the square from above.
• The “Icons” exhibition of the Šariš Museum — a collection of Eastern-rite icons from the region’s wooden churches; entrance from Rhodyho street.
• The town walls with towers and bastions, encircling the centre in an almost continuous ring, and the former Jewish quarter outside the walls.

Practical information

Bardejov is 41 km from Prešov, 54 km from Stará Ľubovňa and 34 km from Svidník. A local branch railway runs from Prešov to Bardejov, and the bus and railway stations are close to the old town: you can walk to the square through the Lower Gate. The centre is flat and compact, so a stroll suits families and older visitors alike, and the square is easy to reach with a pushchair.

The historical exhibition in the town hall opens Tuesday to Sunday: from 1 May to 30 September 9:00–12:00 and 12:30–17:00, from 1 October to 30 April 8:30–12:00 and 12:30–16:00 (as of October 2026). Entry to one exhibition in Bardejov costs €6, reduced €3, children aged 6–15 €2.50; a combined ticket for the three town exhibitions is €13. The basilica is open to visitors on weekday and Saturday daytimes and on Sundays after services; a small fee is charged on site for entry and the tower climb.

Nearby

A few kilometres north is the spa of Bardejovské Kúpele with Slovakia’s oldest open-air museum and mineral springs and pools. To the south-west stands the wooden church in Hervartov, and to the east, near Svidník, the Lemko churches of Ladomirová and Bodružal.

Official website: muzeumbardejov.sk

Photos: Mister No, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Lech_Darski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Juraj76, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; J.Dncsn, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Draco QQQ, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.