The ravishing architectural and natural landscape of central Spiš is dominated from atop a limestone cliff by the ruins of Spis Castle. This is one of the most extensive medieval fortifications in central Europe. As early as the Romanesque period it already had its antithesis in Spišska Kapitula, the seat of an ecclesiastical authority now symbolised by the imposing twin-towered cathedral of St. Martin. These centres of Spiš's power and administration were brought together by the emergence of a settlement below the castle which was to grow into a smal town of typical Renaissance / baroque town houses which now bears the name of Spišské Podhradie. In the hamlet of Žehra, set apart by the limestone massif of Dreveník, the quality of the wall paintings in the early medieval church of the Holy Spirit confirm this community as an integral part of this heritage area. The high degree to which the entirety of the site has survived intact was one of the main reasons for Spis Castle and its surrounding area being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.