Church of the Presentation of the Lord in Smrečany
The oldest preserved building in Smrečany is the already mentioned Gothic Church of the Presentation of the Lord (in honour of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary), which foundations were built in 1349. It is a single-nave building with a square sanctuary with crossed massive Roman ribs bridging the building in the east side and with an adjacent sacristy on the north side. The ceiling of the nave was modified in 1517 and has been preserved till now. The nave has a painted wooden ceiling; supporting beams are decorated with ornaments. Even Gothic windows have been preserved with tracery and Gothic murals and frescoes (national monument). Three valuable late Gothic altars consisting of painted panels and gilded frames ornamented with twists decorate the interior. The baroque organ dates from 1750. A late Gothic bell comes from the master Andrej´s workshop in 1509. The church was overtaken by Evangelical clergy during the Reformation in 1574 and served it up to 1707 when it was definitely returned to the Catholic clergy. The church is a grateful object for history experts, photographers and painters, and it is deservedly one of the most valuable religious monuments in Slovakia.