Poprad (population: 40,000) is the biggest town in Slovak side of High Tatras area. High Tatras are the highest mountains of Slovakia, with a lot of visitors coming (mostly) from all over the Central Europe. Hence Poprad, located at the foothill of these mountains, is a gateway for most of the visitors of High Tatras National Park. It can be accessed by road, railroad and through its airport.

Poprad is a lively town, which boomed mainly after the railroad connecting Prague and Ostrava in Czech republic with Kosice in Eastern Slovakia was built during the second half of the 19th century. Today, its inhabitants earn their lives mostly in tourism-related business and metalworking industries (e.g. a Whirlpool plant manufacturing wash machines is in the town).

There is a lens-shaped St. Egidius Square (such a shape of squares is typical for more towns in Eastern Slovakia, even for those older and with more historical buildings) in Poprad center. Although it has not very much historical buildings, this square is one of the nicest in Slovakia. Even during my last visit on an October Saturday, with cloudy and quite desolate weather, I could appreciate its colorful houses and people. St. Egidius Square is a fortunate combination of new and traditional architectures. It is the biggest comercial spot (with small and medium-sized shops and some pubs and restaurants) in High Tatras area.

Enjoy the pics!