Poprad - is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of
the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque
historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the
biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest
city in Slovakia with a population of approximately
55,000. The Poprad-Tatry Airport is an international
airport located just outside the city. Poprad is also
the starting point of the Tatra Electric Railway (known
in Slovak as Tatranská elektrická železnica), a set of
special narrow-gauge trains (trams) connecting the
resorts in the High Tatras with each other and with
Poprad. Main line trains link Poprad to other
destinations in Slovakia and beyond; in particular,
there are through trains running from Poprad to Prague
in the Czech Republic.
Poprad lies at an altitude of 672 metres (2,205 ft)
above sea level and covers an area of 63 square
kilometres (24.3 sq mi). It is located in northeastern
Slovakia, about 110 kilometres (68 mi) from Košice and
330 kilometres (205 mi) from Bratislava (by road).
Poprad is situated on the Poprad River in the Sub-Tatra
Basin, and is a gateway to the High Tatras. Mountain
ranges around the city include the Levoča Hills in the
east, Kozie chrbty in the south, and the Low Tatras in
the southwest. The drainage divide between the Black Sea
and Baltic Sea lies a bit to the west, near the village
of Štrba. Poprad lies in the north temperate zone and
has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with four
distinct seasons. It is characterized by a significant
variation between warm summers and cold winters. |