Prešov wandered from one fairy tale to another. The June event Discovering Prešov it really should have been a fairy-tale flavour. On Sunday 14 June 2026, everyone who wanted to get to know our town in a slightly different way – through stories, legends, subtle details and places that inspired Vladimír Seman’s fairy tales.
Despite the unpredictable weather, people still made their way to the event more than 40 participants, including children. It was all the more delightful that the author of the books himself was there with us Tales of My Town I a II, Vladimir Seman, together with the publisher by Anna Nagyová. The second volume of the book is still available to purchase here at TIC Prešov.
We were guided through the fairytale town of Prešov by Andrea Sivaničová, which gradually revealed to the participants the stories hidden in the streets, buildings, statues and historic corners of the city. The first stop was near the Wine Museum, where the story of how a dragon turned into a plane tree was told. Right from the start, it was clear that this would not be an ordinary stroll through the city, but a journey full of fantasy.
The next stop was Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas. There is a legend associated with it about painters who were trapped inside the church, as well as an interesting story about why all the windows in the church are different. This was down to the artists, who measured the width of the windows in cubits – and as each cubit was slightly different, the result was unique. Vladimír Seman also shared the details of these stories with the participants in person.
The fairy-tale journey continued to Rákóczi Palace. According to the story, a secret passage was said to lead all the way from Šariš Castle to this very spot. The building with the black eagle became the inspiration for a tale about eagles trying to announce the outbreak of war. Since no one understood them, they brought military caps in their beaks. The eagle legend was also echoed by a stop at the pillar with an eagle in front of the historic building of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre.
When Neptune's Fountain the participants immersed themselves in another story. Neptune, the fish and other animals from the fountain became the inspiration for a fairy tale that shows that even a familiar spot on Hlavná Street can hold new meanings if we look at it through the eyes of a storyteller.
The route then continued towards the Franciscan Church of St Joseph a the plague column. At its summit stands Saint Roch with a bandaged leg, a reminder of the plague. Beneath him, in the cave, lies Saint Rosalia. According to legend, it was a woman who insisted that a statue of a female saint be placed here, which was unusual, as male figures were usually carved into the stone.
The participants also reached the fortifications at The Garden of Art, which also provide an insight into Tales of My Town. Upon returning to Main Street, they were met by the story of the indestructible stone face above the door of the house at 19 Hlavná Street. Although they broke it, they apparently always found it whole again in the morning.
Nearby, above the restaurant entrance Poetics, we noticed a statue of an angel and listened to the story of the little angel with the golden thread. The final story was about the one true Immaculate in Prešov.
The ‘Discover Prešov’ event in June showed that our city is full of stories. Some are hidden high above doorways, others in the details of sculptures, on building facades or in legends that are passed down through the generations. And not every city has its own storyteller. Prešov does – and thanks to Vladimír Seman, we can discover familiar places through the eyes of imagination, history and fairy tales.
We would like to thank all the participants who joined us, Andrea Sivaničová for her engaging commentary, Vladimír Seman for his personal additions to the fairy tales, and Anna Nagyová for taking part in the event. We look forward to the next Discover Prešov event.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Slovak Republic.
