A History of Central Eastern Europe

SPIŠSKÁ STARÁ VES was a center of commerce and crafts by the late 14 th c. The
King granted the right to import, store and export wine, beer and other beverages to the
village in 1399 which made the 15 th c start off well. The area is famed for its’ delicate
lace, sheepskin coats and felt hats topped with eagle feathers. 17 Traders prospered here,
as the town was on an ancient and lucrative trade route from Poland to Hungary.
Health spas have enjoyed a long
history in the area as well. The
clean environment of the High
Tatras helps heal respiratory
illnesses. There are many
mineral and thermal springs in
the regions which are used in
the water cure used to treat
various illnesses. In the late 17 th
and early 18 th centuries the
water or nature cure became
increasingly popular in the area.
It was brought to the United
States in the latter half of the 18th
c and was the foundation upon which the healing discipline of naturopathy was built.
STARÁ VES is nestled in the Rieka Valley and straddles a stream of the same
name. The stream is a branch of the Dunajec River that serves as the border with
POLAND in this area. A short distance west of the village that international border turns
south overland while the river arcs northward.
The village has played host to royalty on several occasions: on 11 November 1411
ZSIGMOND I LUXEMBURGI (1368 – 1437), KING OF HUNGARY met Polish king WŁADYSŁAW
II JAGIEŁŁO (c1362 – 1434) here and in neighboring SROMOWCE NIŻNE across the Dunajec
possibly to discuss the ramifications of the Polish victory over the TEUTONIC KNIGHTS,
ZSIGMOND’s ally, on the 15 th of July 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald. The armies of the
ORDER were decimated and led to the Peace of Thorn (February 1411) the ended the 2‐
year old Polish‐Lithuanian‐Teutonic War.
The Treaty of Lubowla of 1412 in which
the 16 ZIPS towns were mortgaged to
POLAND was negotiated in nearby
STARÁ ĽUBOVŇA and may have
contributed to the reasons behind the
November meeting. On 21 February
1474 negotiations in the succession
struggle for the throne of Bohemia
between MÁTYÁS CORVINUS (1443 –
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