Kikapa, 3431, Tulcik, Slovakia

Kikapa pilgrimage site

In times if there weren't many cars, most residents Tulčík used to go to the district town of Prešov on foot or on horseback. The road led through a mountain saddle on the border of the villages of Tulčík and Fintice, with the local name „KIKAPA“ (403 m above sea level). It is a saddle between Kapušianský hradný vrch and Stráž.

The name Kikapa, loosely translated from Hungarian as Kamenná brána (Stone Gate), is probably related to the carved part of the wagon road into the stone cliff in the aforementioned saddle in the direction of Fintice.

According to historical sources, in the 14th century and the following centuries, the old trade route from Prešov to Bardejov and further to Poland led there. It was also called the Sekčovská cesta or the Krajinská cesta, which led from the Potisia of Poland (from Hungary to Halič) and headed from the Fintice slopes to Kikapa, continuing along the Sekčov valley through the Toltszék (today's Tulčík) village, under the Demjat hills between the outcrops of the Čergov Mountains and the Low Beskid Mountains to the north. Later, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, this road was used as a shortcut, also known as the „foot dray“. It served people from the villages of Tulčík or Demjata as the shortest route for pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages to the marketplace in Prešov, where they sold their goods.

In the saddle grew old trees, mainly oaks. On one of them used to hang a cast-iron picture with a religious theme, depicting Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Pilgrims used to stop and pray by it. The painting was sent to the people of Tulčič by emigrants from America. After the tree died, the painting was moved to the Tulčice church, where it was installed above the entrance to the sacristy until 1933. On the initiative of members of the Slovak League, the painting was again moved to Kikapa, where it was built into the chapel. On 05.06.1933 it was consecrated „Chapel on Kikapa“ with built-in image.

Since 1993, meetings of believers from Tulčík, Fintice, Záhradný, Fulianka and Demjata have been held irregularly at Kikapa. And since 1997, a pilgrimage to Kikapa has been held regularly on the first Saturday in June.

The main organizer of the pilgrimage to Kikapa is the parish office in Tulčík, the Hunting Association Sekčov in Tulčík and the Municipal Office in Tulčík. Organisations such as mushroom pickers and volunteer firefighters are also helpful.

It can be reached on foot from the village of Tulčík, about 4 km away. From Fintice from the quarry along the green hiking trail about 1 km away.

It is a place of pilgrimage where everyone can pray and relax. In case of bad weather hide under shelters.

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How to get here? It can be reached on foot from the village of Tulčík, about 4 km away. From Fintice from the quarry along the green hiking trail about 1 km away.

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