Prešov : Slovakia
Preov is an impressive city culturally; many concerts, operas, operettas and stage plays are performed at the new building of the Jon Zborsk Theatre (Divadlo Jona Zborskho), as well as at the old location.
The city is a wonderful showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic architecture. In the Star Mesto (Old Town/Downtown) area, the main street is lined with churches and other buildings built in these styles. In the suburbs, however, the Soviet influence is tragically evident through the massive concrete apartment buildings (the panelks) of the Sdlisk (settlements) and the Sek?ov district. More Soviet architecture is seen in the government buildings near the downtown.
History
Habitation in the region of Preov dates as far back as the Paleolithic period. The oldest discovered tools and mammoth bones are 28,000 years old. Slavic people have lived in the area of the town since the 4th or 5th century AD.
By the end of the 11th century the town had become part of the Kingdom of Hungary, and Hungarian soldiers settled in the town. In the 13th century many German settlers moved to Preov from the Spi region.
The first written record of Preov dates back to 1247. In 1299 Preov received municipal privileges, and in 1374 it was declared a free royal town. This led to development of crafts and trade (especially export of wine from the Tisza region to Poland). In the 15th century Preov joined the Pentapolitana, an alliance of five towns of eastern Slovakia (Bardejov, Levo?a, Koice, Preov, and Sabinov).
