In the heart of Slovakia's Gemer region, a hidden treasure trove of Gothic churches awaits discovery. The Gothic Route Association, a dedicated group of heritage enthusiasts, has been working tirelessly to preserve and promote these architectural gems. Through their efforts, these Gothic churches are not just relics of the past but vibrant cultural landmarks that continue to inspire and amaze.
The Gothic Route Association was established in 2007 as a result of several years of cooperation between the monument restoration professionals and the Regional Development Agency in Rožňava. In addition to the founding members from the ranks of professional workers engaged in the protection and restoration of cultural heritage, the membership in the association was also accepted by representatives of the municipalities in which the monuments of the Gothic Route are located, as well as representatives of the Evangelical and Roman Catholic Church as owners of these cultural monuments. The aim of the association is to work for the benefit of the cultural monuments located on the Gothic Route in the Gemer region.
Since 2017, new members have joined the association, mostly, but not only, from the fields of architecture, history and art history from Bratislava and other parts of Slovakia.
An important part of the association's activities is administrative and financial assistance to the owners of monuments - through obtaining subsidies from the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic or other public national and international sources, as well as from private sponsors. Contributions through the system of remittance of 2% of personal taxes for the non-profit sector the Gothic Route obtains resources for the annual project of support for the restoration of monuments "Owner in need - monument in danger". Thanks to this activity, the association has been able to contribute financially to the restoration of dozens of cultural monuments over the years of its existence.
Through promotional or publicity activities, and especially by making these churches accessible to the public, members actively raise awareness of these jewels beyond the significance of the region. Since 2016, the Gothic Route Association has been organising the event "Gothic Route Open", which aims to highlight monuments of high value. The event is visited annually by approximately 350 - 700 participants from Slovakia and neighbouring countries. In addition to this event, volunteers participate in various cultural and educational activities related to the theme of the Gothic Route, which are organized in the region by other actors - museums, galleries, the owners themselves, municipalities or other entities. These range from concerts, exhibitions, guided tours to historical theatre, festivals and workshops.
The association is also a co-organiser of the biennial professional conference "The Gothic Route: crossroads of culture and deicide". The output is also the eponymous peer-reviewed collection of professional papers, a total of 5 issues have already been published with valuable content for the professional and lay public.
One of the greatest achievements of the association is the award of the European Heritage Label to 12 churches in the Gemer-Malohont area, which the volunteers participated in obtaining in cooperation with partners at the level of the regional government. Thanks to the creation of a platform for cooperation on this project with church owners, municipalities, professional organisations in monument restoration and tourism at local or international level, the Gothic Route is becoming more and more known to the public. Steps leading not only to restoration, but also to making the churches accessible to visitors and improving their presentation or infrastructure providing comfort for tourists and locals aim to make the churches of the Gothic Route one of the pillars of tourism in the region. Thanks to the support of the self-governing regions, the churches with the European Heritage Label have regular opening hours during the summer season.
Thanks to its long-term activities, the Gothic Route Association has found its place in the scene of monument restoration and cultural tourism in Slovakia and has become recognised among experts and the general public. For its contribution in this field, the association was awarded the annual prize of the magazine "Monuments and Museums" in 2019 and the Professor Martin Kusý Prize in 2024.
