This post contains very special history, relax and nature moments during my hiking in Medzilaborce area.
One of the oldest monasteries and places of indulgence in Slovakia, also known as “Russian Devín”, was built in the 14th century on the spot where a blind beggar was miraculously healed.
Today, this romantic ruin is a frequent destination for trips to the nearby Devil’s Stone. The Devil’s Stone provides tourists with a wonderful view of the surrounding region and the city of Medzilaborce itself. The sandstone rock is sought after especially for the engraved relief of the devil’s head from 1994. On the top of the rock is a board with the coat of arms of the village of Krásny Brod. You can get there by a pleasant walk directly from the village of Krásny Bord, right at its beginning near the house of mourning, where you will also find reserved parking spaces.
Čertov kamen (433 m a.s.l.) is the seventh stop of the Kamjana forestry educational trail, and tourist signs also lead to it. Under the Devil’s Stone, traces of a narrow-gauge railway from the interwar period can be found in the terrain, which was used to transport wood from the surrounding forests.
A mysterious legend: Legend has it that there was a monastery in the village of Krásny Brod already in the 14th century. Monks taught people to do good and not believe in magic. The strigas and devils ran out of patience, so they decided to drop a huge boulder on the monastery. However, the prayers of the monks, the people and the protection of the Virgin prevented them from doing so. When the devils were approaching Krásne Brod with a boulder, the last Krásne Brod rooster crowed, which the strigs didn’t have time to scold. The devils got scared and the boulder slipped from their hands. He crashed into the woods in the Kamjana region, where he lies to this day with the terrible face of the devil carved into it. It is said that the devils from hell can sometimes be heard sighing from under it.
The village of Krásny Brod is located on the territory that was in the past an important route from Hungary and Subcarpathia to Galicia. One of these roads also led through Medzilaborce and Lupkovský pass.
Teodor Korjatovič came here in the 14th century with his army at the invitation of the Hungarian ruler to protect the state borders. Monks also came with him, who, according to popular belief, prayed for his success. Korjatovič donated a large territory to them for their moral support and had a wooden temple and monastery built near the chapel in Krásný Brod.
In the 16th century, this territory belonged to the Drugeths from Humenné, who were Calvinists at that time. In 1603, Valent Drugeth went to the feast of the Sending of the Holy Spirit around the monastery, where there were many people, because of which his horses spooked, the carriage overturned and the count broke his arm. Out of anger, he ordered the monastery to be burned down. However, his hand did not heal for a long time, so he promised that if he recovered, he would build a new monastery, which happened. When he recovered, he converted to the Catholic faith and restored the monastery in 1605.
In 1614, a new church was consecrated, which was built next to the monastery. In the years 1708-1729, the monastery was ravaged several times, and in the years 1752-1761, a new large monastery and a brick temple were built here. At that time, a new chapel was also built for the miraculous icon, which is said to have always been saved from fire.
The Krásnobrod monastery was a place of novitiate for young candidates of the order of Basilians, as well as a philosophical school, where several famous professors, such as Dr. A. Kocák, author of the first grammar for Rusyns. The ethnographer Anatolij Kralický, who collected folk songs, customs and fairy tales, the great historian Bazilović and also national revivalists such as A. Pavlovič, A. Dobriansky and A. Duchnovič worked here.
During the First World War, the Monastery in Krásný Brod was destroyed by Russian and Austro-Hungarian troops and has been in ruins ever since. The Basilian Order was building a new monastery, which was consecrated on June 2, 2002.
In the vicinity of Habury, you should see not only a wooden church, a field of animals, but also a bronze statue of Prince Laborec. The wonderful views of the surrounding nature and the majesty of the remarkable statue create a unique atmosphere that is definitely worth a visit. The statue of Prince Laborec with respectable dimensions is located above the village, on the hill above the picturesque wooden church. It is over five meters high and stands on an almost two-meter plinth made of natural stone. The statue is built in memory of Prince Laborac and as a symbol of the unity of the Ruthenians. In the pedestal under the bronze statue there is a box with soil from 106 Ruthenian villages, which symbolizes the unity of the Ruthenians. The author of the monument is the academic sculptor Ján Ťapák.
The Slavic prince Laborec lived at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. After the invasion of the Old Hungarian tribes into the Carpathian basin, the prince and his entourage went on the run. However, he was caught and executed on the banks of the Sviržava River. Since then, the river has been called Laborec.
Please, dont forget to make one click at following URL links, which contains very special moments for your deep interest:
Time: November 2024
Location: Medzilaborce county (wooden churches, villages as follows: Krásny Brod, Habura, Čertižné), Prešov District
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE HOME BLOG: PERFECTIONIST, WORKAHOLIC: ANTHONIA FICOVA. TEA OR COFFEE OR COCTAIL MEETING? 