Prešov

	Prešov
	City
	City centre of Prešov
	Coat of arms
	Coat of arms
Country	Slovakia
Region	Prešov
District	Prešov
Tourism region	Šariš
River	Torysa
Elevation	250 m (820 ft)
Coordinates	49°00′06″N 21°14′22″E / 49.00167°N 21.23944°E
Area	70.40 km² (27.2 sq mi)
Population	91,650 (2006-12-31)
- metro	161,000
Density	1,302 /km² (3,372 /sq mi)
First mentioned	1247
Mayor	Pavel Hagyari (Independent)
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	080 01
Area code	+421-51
Car plate	PO
	Location of Prešov within Slovakia
	Wikimedia Commons: Prešov
	Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
	Website: www.presov.sk

Coordinates: 49°00′06″N 21°14′22″E / 49.00167°N 21.23944°E

Prešov (German: Preschau/Eperies; Hungarian: Eperjes; Polish: Preszów; Romany: Peryeshis; Rusyn: Пряшів/Пряшyв) is a city in eastern Slovakia. With a population of approximately 91,000 it is the third-largest city in the country. The town is a centre of Rusyns in Slovakia.

Geography [change]

Prešov is a city lying in the Torysa river valley, in the historical Šariš region. It is located 33 km north of Košice, connected by the motorway D1.

History [change]

People have lived in the area since the Paleolithic period. Prešov is first mentioned in 1247. It became a free royal town in 1374. Salt mining started here in the 16th century, in the nearby town of Solivar (which is now part of Prešov).