Holiday apartment in Tvarožná – Churches, history and views of the Tatras

Tvarožná lies southeast of Kežmarok in the Vrbovská pahorkatina uplands, in the Poprad Basin and at the northwestern foot of the Levočské planiny in the Levočské vrchy mountain region.

Location and nature

Parts of the cadastral area of Tvarožná lie within the Levočské vrchy Protected Bird Area. The landscape references thus range from the uplands through the basin to the mountain region, giving the geographical classification of the village several clearly defined facets.

The northwestern foot of the Levočské planiny forms the named geographical setting of Tvarožná. The cadastral area also includes the part of the Protected Bird Area that complements the description of the natural environment and area.

History

From 1271, Tvarožná exercised town privileges and was administered under German Saxon law. Several original town houses from the 17th to the 19th century have been preserved in the village. Historical details also include a Baroque sandstone column with a statue of the Immaculata, erected in Tvarožná in 1730. Alongside the medieval legal history, the preserved houses and the column thus stand as independent historical testimonies in the village.

The history of the village therefore encompasses both legal development since the 13th century and visible evidence from later centuries. The town houses date from the period between the 17th and 19th centuries, while the sandstone column with the Immaculata dates to 1730. Together with the administration under German Saxon law, this creates a broad chronological perspective on Tvarožná, without the individual testimonies belonging to the same period.

Churches and religious history

The Roman Catholic Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Tvarožná dates back to the 13th century. In the 15th century, it was extensively rebuilt in the High and Late Gothic styles. The church is also known for a bronze baptismal font, which represents another specific detail of its furnishings alongside its architectural history.

The Evangelical church in Tvarožná was built in 1778 in the Baroque-Classical style. Its history is connected with an earlier denominational development: in the 17th century, Evangelicals persecuted by the Counter-Reformation were allowed to build a wooden articulated church in Tvarožná. This church no longer survives today.

The two surviving churches and the former articulated church belong to different periods and architectural forms. Tvarožná thus brings together Roman Catholic and Evangelical heritage dating from the 13th to the 18th century.

Agrozami sells meat of Slovak origin. Pigs are slaughtered on Mondays under veterinary supervision in its own slaughterhouse.

Hiking

An easy walking excursion leads from Vrbov to Tvarožná. The route passes through a pine forest and, on the ascent, reaches meadows above Tvarožná. These meadows offer views of Tvarožná, Ľubica and Kežmarok, as well as of the High Tatras.

The route can be divided into clearly named sections: it begins in Vrbov, passes through the pine forest and continues with the ascent to the meadows above Tvarožná. Only there does the described view open up across several villages and towards the High Tatras. The easy walking excursion thus combines path, forest, meadows and views along one continuously described route.

Further destinations: Jezersko, Lendak, Veľká Lomnica, Lechnica, Busovce, Stara Lesna, Červený Kláštor, Zakovce

To the broader travel overview: Kežmarok District.