Like Levoca, Bardejov is a town that was built by the Saxons. Large numbers of Germans still lived in this area of Slovakia until the mass expulsions of the late 1940's. The main square sports the former homes of the Saxon weavers and the Jewish families who perised in the Holocaust. Over 50% of Bardejov was Jewish before the war. Now, there is only a dilidated synagogue to remind us of their once significant presence in the town.

The town also has a wonderful little icon museum. There are icons from all over the country - the majority coming from the Rusyn churches in the surrounding area. The museum staff were completely disinterested in their two guests -giving us the uneasy feeling that it would be incredibly easy to walk out with our favorite icons. After the museum, we climbed the steeple of the cathedral. Since it is currently undergoing restoration, the climb to the top of the tower was like walking through an echo chamber of drills and hammering. Not quite the romantic image of travel that we all strive for.

Bardejov's Main Square