Master Paul of Levoča carved the tallest Gothic wooden altar in the world, and you can stand in front of it in the church of St James in the centre of this walled town in eastern Slovakia. Completed in the early sixteenth century, the altar rises almost nineteen metres, with life-size figures of the Virgin and saints in limewood, painted and gilded, under a forest of pinnacles. It is the masterpiece of a sculptor about whom little is known beyond his work, and it is part of the UNESCO listing of Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.
Levoča itself is a beautiful town, with its medieval walls largely intact, a large central square lined with Renaissance and Gothic houses, and a town hall with arcades. Next to the town hall stands a cage of shame, an iron cage in which petty criminals were once displayed to the public. The town was a rich German-speaking merchant centre in the Middle Ages, part of a group of Saxon towns in the Spiš region. Each July, a large Catholic pilgrimage climbs to the basilica on the Marian hill above the town.
The riding in Spiš is excellent. The region is a rolling landscape of fields and forests, with the High Tatras rising dramatically to the north-west, snow-capped for much of the year. Spiš Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe, sits on a hill above Spišské Podhradie, a short ride east, and the view of its white walls is unforgettable. The roads are generally good, with long sweeps through the hills, though some minor roads are bumpy. Weather can change quickly, especially near the mountains, and winters are cold and snowy. The Slovak Paradise national park, to the south, offers gorges and forests.
Levoča has fuel, shops, restaurants and hotels; Spišská Nová Ves, ten kilometres away, is a larger town. Slovak food is hearty: bryndzové halušky, small potato dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon, soups, and grilled meats. Local beers are good and cheap. Visit the church early, before the groups arrive, and spend time looking at the altar figures; their faces are calm and individual, as if Master Paul had used his neighbours as models.