Rožňava - sights and attractions
The city Rožňava is an administrative and cultural centre of the upper Gemer. The first written record about Rožňava comes from the year 1291.Since the 1775 Rožňava is a Bishop’s seat of Slovak, Hungarian, German speaking inhabitants. There is preserved a precious historical centre of which heart is a square surrounded by significant architectonic monuments. In the centre of the square stands a renaissance watchtower built during Turkish wars in the years 1643-1654. The most important sacral monument of Rožňava is a bishops´ cathedral church which was a parochial church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary built at the beginning of the 14th century, up to the year 1776. Other important historical monuments in the square are – house of the mining chamber, gothic civic house.
Watchtower in Rožňava: Renaissance Watchtower was built on the place of the previous building in the years 1643-1654.
Historical town centre: The current urban structure of the historical town centre consisting of a spacious square, the largest medieval square shaped in Slovakia, surrounded by majestic burgess houses and a network of streets was founded in late 15th century.
Church of Ascension of the Virgin Mary – Rožňava: It is the Gothic building from the beginning of the 14th century, which was finished in 1403. The Bakócz chapel was added to it during reconstruction made at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the period when the bishopric was established in Rožňava, the famous architect J. Mayer, native of Rožňava built the belfry here. In the interior of the church is the valuable painting of St. Ann Metercia from 1513. In the background of the picture the mining activities are represented and it is supposed that its author belonged to the group of artists around Master Pavol of Levoča. The painting is so far the oldest known graphic picture of 16th century mining in the middle Europe.
Mining museum in Rožňava: In the geology - mineralogy section there are interesting and precious minerals from deposit areas of Gemer. The section focused on technology in mining and metallurgy offers visitors a compact picture of the development of these disciplines primarily in the Gemer region. The most valuable exhibits include medieval mining hand tools, a wooden pumping device used in mining, a towing chute, and drilling, measuring and illuminating devices.
Other sights and attractions: The Town Hall, Bishop’s Palace, the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Nunnery, the building of a former Mining Chamber, Evangelical Church, etc.
