Podtatranské Museum, Poprad, and the Prince's Tomb

The Podtatranské Museum in Poprad (Podtatranské múzeum v Poprade) is a supra-regional museum at the foot of the High Tatras, run by the Prešov Self-Governing Region. It is housed in a Neo-Renaissance building of 1886 with "MÚZEUM" across the façade, in the Veľká district of town, not far from the station. Its highlight is the tomb of a Germanic prince from the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries, discovered in 2005 in Poprad-Matejovce: in terms of preserved timber architecture and furniture it is unique in Europe.

The museum's roots go back to the 19th century. The Hungarian Carpathian Society, founded by tourists and scholars, decided in 1876 to build a museum devoted to the Tatras and the whole sub-Tatra region. At first the collections were gathered in Kežmarok, but in 1885 the museum moved to Poprad: the local patron Dávid Husz donated land and money for a new building, completed in 1886. In parallel, in 1881 the Tatra Museum was founded in Veľká, collecting herbaria, insects, models of Tatra mountain huts and ethnographic objects. After the Second World War both collections became the basis of today's Podtatranské Museum.

What to see

• "The Prince of Poprad and His Tomb" (opened on 27 May 2023) — an archaeological exhibition of world class. At a depth of 5 m researchers found a roofed log chamber with a wooden sarcophagus, furnishings, remains of leather and textile clothing, food in ceramic vessels and everyday objects. Although the tomb was robbed by the dead man's contemporaries, ornaments and objects of bronze, silver and gold survived, including a pendant made from a coin of the Roman emperor Valens of 375 AD. The bed, table, game board and other items were conserved for several years by specialists in Schleswig, Germany, together with researchers from many countries.
• "Poprad and Its Surroundings in the Mirror of Ages" — the story of continuous settlement of the region in five parts: from prehistoric man below the Tatras (105,000–40,000 years ago) through the Stone and Iron Ages, the birth of the town in the 13th–18th centuries and the turbulent 19th and early 20th centuries to modern Poprad. Palaeontology, mineralogy, zoology and botany, archaeology, numismatics and ethnography are all represented.
• Thematic exhibitions "Guilds and Crafts", "Burgher Living", "Majesty and Humility" on sacred art, and "Personalities of Spišská Sobota".

The museum also holds temporary exhibitions and educational programmes. Its branch in Spišská Sobota has been closed for reconstruction since 2 September 2024.

Practical information

The museum stands on Vajanského street in Veľká, a few hundred metres from Poprad-Tatry railway station, so it is an easy walk straight from the train. It is open Tuesday to Sunday (Sunday afternoons only); closed on Mondays and public holidays. A combined ticket for the whole museum costs €8 and a family ticket €16; a separate ticket for the princely tomb alone is also available. All prices are in the "At a glance" box.

Allow at least an hour for the princely tomb and two hours for the whole museum. It is a good choice for a rainy day when the Tatra trails are in cloud, and an interesting stop for families with children.

Nearby: trails and peaks

Poprad is the main gateway to the High Tatras, and the museum combines easily with a walk or a hike. Two kilometres from the museum lies the medieval town of Spišská Sobota and St George’s Church. The TANAP Museum in Tatranská Lomnica tells the story of Tatra nature in detail — trails and the cable car into the mountains start there — and half an hour's drive east awaits Kežmarok Castle.

Official website: muzeumpp.sk

Photos: Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ladislav Luppa, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Lure, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.