Kostol svätého Františka z Assisi (Hervartov)

The Church of St Francis of Assisi in Hervartov is a wooden Roman Catholic church from the late 15th century, standing beneath the peaks of the Čergov mountains in the Bardejov district. It is an exceptionally precious monument – it is both the oldest and the best-preserved wooden church in Slovakia, making it a true jewel of the country's sacred architecture.

Its extraordinary value is confirmed by its heritage protection status. It has been a national cultural monument since 1968, together with other churches within the group of Eastern Slovak Wooden Churches, and since 7 July 2008 it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the category of Wooden Churches of the Slovak Part of the Carpathian Arc. The church was built in the Gothic style and comprises a chancel, nave, sacristy and tower base.

The church interior holds remarkable artistic treasures. It is decorated with Gothic panel paintings and wall paintings from 1655 and 1805, restored to their original state in the 1970s. Its centrepiece is an altar dedicated to St Catherine, the Virgin Mary and St Barbara, and among its rarities is a late-Gothic painting of St Francis. While the exterior has remained almost unchanged, the interior bears the marks of the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation and the Baroque period.

The church in Hervartov is a must for anyone interested in history, art and wooden architecture. It lies close to Bardejov, so a visit can be combined with a tour of this UNESCO town and its other wooden churches. Accommodation around Bardejov and the Šariš region makes an ideal base for exploring this exceptional corner of eastern Slovakia.