style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:
EN" lang="EN">Poprad itself, the first written reference to which dates from 1256, was
for 690 years (up until 1946) just one of several neighbouring settlements,
which currently make up the modern city. The other parts of the current municipality
are
Matejovce (first reference 1251),
Spišská Sobota (1256),
Veľká
(1268), and
Stráže pod Tatrami (1276). The most significant of these
original towns was Georgenberg (or Szepesszombat, now: Spišská Sobota), which
preserved its dominant position in the area until the late 19th century.
In 1999, Poprad put in a bid to host the 2006 Winter Olympics, but lost to
Turin, Italy.
