The last stop on my little itinerary through Eastern Europe that started in Prague (Soviet Style Architecture in Prague), then went to Brno (Brno Architecture) , Ostrava (Socialist Realism in Ostrava), Krakow (Brutalist architecture and soc realism in Krakow) and Zakopane (Zakopane Style Architecture) was Presov, an interesting town in Eastern Slovakia.The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic architecture. In the historical center, the main street is lined with churches and other buildings built in various historical styles.
Historical buildings in Presov old town
In the suburbs, however, the Soviet influence is clearly evident through the massive concrete panel buildings (paneláky) of the housing estates (sídliska) most of all in the Sekčov district.
The fountain has seen better times but the viewer can immagine what a spectacle it might have been.
The fountain offers interesting views from different angels
The park side facade is composed following the typical features of Socialist Classicism
The Street side facade with access control :-)
This fountain in the city center is another tribute to the socialist era
Presov, instead of removing any memorials to do with Russia, decided to keep theirs as the 40 years of communism was part of their history.
Bosakova Bank (picture source)
Near the historical center there is a stunning Art Nouveau building designed by Engineer V. Glasz around 1923. The name Bosakova Bank was a tribute to Michal Bosak (1869-1937) a Slovak expat that became an important banker in the U.S.
Renaissance House Sigismund Rákóczi (picture source)
The The Rákóczi palace is one of the rebuilt houses from the main street in Renaissance style. Today a musesum is lokated inside. Presov is worth a trip, so here are some useful links: http://www.presov.info/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre%C5%A1ov Pictures on Panoramio
