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Poprad, Slovakia

Poprad
City
Stadscentrum Poprad - Slovakije.jpg
Central Poprad during winter
Country  Slovakia
Region Prešov
District Poprad
Tourism region Tatry
River Poprad
Elevation 672 m (2,205 ft)
Coordinates 49°03′34″N 20°17′51″E / 49.05944°N 20.29750°E / 49.05944; 20.29750Coordinates: 49°03′34″N 20°17′51″E / 49.05944°N 20.29750°E / 49.05944; 20.29750
Area 62.997 km2 (24 sq mi)
Population 55,042 (2006-12-31)
 - metro 100,000
Density 874/km2 (2,264/sq mi)
First mentioned 1250
Mayor Jozef Švagerko
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 058 01
Phone prefix 421-52
Car plate PP
Location in Slovakia
Location in Slovakia
Location in the Prešov Region
Location in the Prešov Region
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: http://www.poprad.sk

Poprad (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈpoprat]; is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains, famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia, with a population of approximately 55,000.

The Poprad-Tatry Airport is an international airport located just outside the city. Poprad is also the starting point of the Tatra Electric Railway (known in Slovak as Tatranská elektrická železnica), a set of special narrow-gauge trains (trams) connecting the resorts in the High Tatras with each other and with Poprad. Main line trains link Poprad to other destinations in Slovakia and beyond; in particular, there are through trains running from Poprad to Prague in the Czech Republic.

The territory was since the Migration Period inhabited by Slavic settlers. The first written record dates from 16 March 1256 in the deed of donation of the Hungarian King Bela IV. It was colonized in the 13th century by German settlers and became the largely German town Deutschendorf meaning 'Germans' village'. From 1412 to 1770, as one of the Spis towns, Poprad was pawned by the Kingdom of Hungary to the Kingdom of Poland, resulting in a strong Polish influence on the city's further development. In the 17th century, the number of Germans began to decline. In January 1919 this territory was placed under the control of Czechoslovakia.

Poprad itself was for 690 years (up until 1946) just one of several neighbouring settlements, which currently make up the modern city. The other parts of the current municipality are Matejovce (first reference 1251), Spišská Sobota (1256), Veľká (1268), and Stráže pod Tatrami (1276). The most significant of these original towns was Georgenberg, now Spišská Sobota), which preserved its dominant position in the area until the late 19th century.


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