Levoca’s Renaissance City Hall and Gothic St. James’s Church dominate the city’s exquisite main square. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Nearly 20 years ago, when the Velvet Revolution first made it possible to explore eastern Europe, Bryan discovered Levoca and even then (before all the renovation and repainting which has taken place recently) considered it the most attractive historic town in Slovakia, its main square dominated by exquisite Gothic and Renaissance architecture.
At this time the 2012 Festival program is not available but in 2011 the programming, which took note of the Franz Liszt bicentenary and the death of Percy Grainger 50 years ago, and also includes music by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Weber, Smetana, Lehar, Martinu, and Dohnayi. The festival also provided a unique opportunity to become acquainted with some less familiar composers: Reicha, Zemlinsky, Varèse, Schalhoff, Françaix, Kamieniak, Staud, and Vorisek. The international line-up included the Slovak Sinfonietta, the Zemlinsky Quartet, and In Modo Camerale Wind Trio (Czech Republic), the Vienna Piano Trio (Austria), flautist Carlo Jans (Luxembourg), pianists Jonathan Powell (UK) and Tomasz Kamieniak (Poland), and the celebrated soprano Klara Kolonits (Hungary).
In addition to five nights in Levoca we shall spend two near the Ukranian border. The cultural side of our visit will also include visits to such UNESCO World Heritage Sites as Spissky castle, Spisska Kapitula abbey, and Zehra church with its 14th and 15th-century frescoes.
Our birding will take us around the woodland-cloaked hills surrounding our base of Levoca, with its Hazel Hens, woodpeckers and owls, to the alpine-like habitats of the High Tatras. Beyond lies more open country with its plentiful birds of prey and migrating passerines, and we begin at the fabulous wetland of the Senné which should be alive with all manner of waterbirds.
Day 1: Participants should arrive in Krakow no later than today. Night in Krakow.
Day 2: After meeting the group arriving from London, we’ll drive across the High Tatra mountains into Slovakia on the ancient trade route to the Spiss region and beyond. Enroute to Michalovce, as the landscape opens out, we should see our first open-country birds on migration – such as Red-backed Shrike and Whinchat – but we shall concentrate on the region’s large population of raptors, hoping in particular for Imperial Eagle and Saker Falcon. We’ll also be on the lookout for other species, such as Black Stork. We expect to arrive at our hotel in the early evening, having stopped for dinner on the way. Night near Michalovce.
Day 3: Adjacent to our hotel are the Vihorlat hills, a rolling landscape of broad-leaved forests where we’ll search for woodland birds: woodpecker species such as Middle Spotted and White-backed and the magnificent Ural Owl. South of Michalovce the relief flattens into extensive cultivated plains. Here we’ll concentrate on the working fish ponds and overgrown lakes at Senné, which have created an outstanding wetland site. The varying water levels and extensive phragmites reedbeds at this site offer attractive habitats to a host of passage and breeding birds, including Penduline Tit and Bearded Tit. The lakes provide rest for Great White Egrets, Purple Herons, Spoonbills, occasionally Pygmy Cormorants, and a variety of waders temporarily resting before they leave for the south. A wide selection of ducks is also found together with several breeding wader species. The elusive Bittern is sometimes surprisingly easy to see at Senné and small flocks of Cranes should cross the skies as well as a White-tailed Eagle or Osprey. First winter guests from the north could be already present including Rough-legged Buzzard, Merlin, or Hen Harrier and we hope to finish the day with a trip to a local quarry, a regular roosting spot for Eagle Owl. We shall also take the opportunity to taste the famous Tokaj wines.. Night near Michalovce.
Day 4: We’ll start with a walk around a large park in the town of Michalovce. This lightly wooded area offers a last chance for such sought-after species as Syrian, Middle Spotted, and Grey-headed Woodpeckers. Later we’ll drive to Levoca where, after a restaurant lunch, we shall stroll around the town and visit St James’s church to view Master Paul’s altars. In the evening we shall attend the opening concert, followed by supper. Night in Levoca.
Days 5-6: Based in this attractive little town, our first two full days will be spent combining birding and concert-going with history and culture, visiting such UNESCO World Heritage Sites as Spisska Kapitula abbey, Spissky castle, and Zehra church with its 14th and 15th century frescoes. During the mornings we shall also explore Levocske hills, Prešov and the surrounding countryside for a variety of birds. Early October is a good season for Hazel Hen and the local forests are home to several dozen of them, including at this time of year, young, and rather vocal males. Nutcracker will be another target bird as they roam around in search of food and we shall devote some time looking for Pygmy and Tengmalm’s Owls. Other species likely to be encountered are Golden Eagle, Crossbill, Northern Grey Shrike and, with luck, Three-toed and Black Woodpeckers and maybe a late Lesser Spotted Eagle. Amongst the more common species which abound in the forests around Levoca are Hawfinch, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Sparrow, various tits, and winter visitors such as Brambling and Waxwing. Our afternoons and evenings will be spent at concerts in the old town hall and the congress hall. Nights in Levoca.
Day 7: An early start (probably with a picnic breakfast) will allow us to spend a full day in the High Tatras, hopefully taking a cabin lift to 5000ft to search for Alpine Accentor and Water Pipit. After a restaurant lunch we shall enjoy more afternoon and evening concerts followed by supper at the hotel. Night in Levoca.
Day 8: A full day’s birding (this time in the Slovak Paradise) will allow us to continue searching for any species which have so far eluded us before we find ourselves in the congress hall for our final concert– a rousing grand finale with the Slovak Sinfonetta, the Vienna Piano Trio, and Jonathan Powell culminating with Beethoven’s triple concerto.Night in Levoca.
Day 9: We leave Levoca and drive back across the border to Krakow where the tour concludes.
For more information on programs and performers, visit the website of the Levoca Summer Music Festival.
Updated: 03 November 2011
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $3,150*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $280
Notes
Maximum group size eight with one leader, 12 with two leaders.
The tour price includes good tickets for all musical performances.
Participants who would like to join the group traveling from London should contact the WINGS office.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.