The town of Michalovce has been an economical and cultural center of the region of Zemplin since the remote past. It has more than 40000 inhabitants and it is situated in the eastern part of Slovakia – in the northern part of the East Slovakian Lowlands.
Many important archeological finds are a witness to the fact that this area was populated already in the primeval periods. These archeological finds were discovered especially on the hill called Hradok and near catholic church.
In 1244 Michalovce is mentioned for the first time in a feudal written documents as a part of the feudal estates of the Sztaray family. The fact that the early village of Michalovce was situated on the bank of the Laborec river and at the crossing of merchant routes soon caused the development of village into a town. It was at the beginning of the 14th century.
The feudal Sztaray family fulfilled very important economic role in Michalovce. This famous family gave the town new elements especially in development of agriculture, trade and industry. The life of the population in the 18th century was marked by religious struggles and peasant riots. In the 19th century a plague epidemic didn`t spare the town. A few new factories built at the beginning of the 20th century weren`t enough to finish with poverty of the majority of inhabitants. Therefore many people left Michalovce at that time in expectation of a better life abroad (especially in the USA).
An important date in the history of the town was November 26, 1944, the day of the liberation of the town by the Soviet Army. Since November 26, 1944 the small provincial town that Michalovce once was has developed into a true center of Zemplin region. New housing estates and industrial factories were built.
Our town has a lot of nice sights. The oldest building is a Roman Catholic Church. The late – Gothic mansion erected on the foundations of a medieval stronghold is also very beautiful. The mansion was formerly the seat of Sztaray family, at present it houses the Zemplin Museum. Here the exposition of plants and animals of our region can be found and also the exposition of the life of our people.
We mustn`t forget to mention the Hradok Hill with the pseudo – Gothic chapel which is the Sztaray family mausoleum. It is the town`s dominant feature and also an important archeological locality.
In the center of the town there is the square (Liberators` square) with the dominant sculpture composition named Zemplin Spring.