Levoča belongs to the most beautiful historic towns in Slovakia. It was a royal town already in 1317. There are many preserved monuments in the town – St. James Cathedral, the town hall, evangelic church, medieval pillory and more than 60 bourgeois houses. There is the tallest wooden late-gothic altar in the world finished in 1517 – The altar of Holy Mary and St. James the Apostle made by Master Pavol in the second largest church in Slovakia, St. James Cathedral. The altar is 18,6 m tall and 6,2 m wide. The town hall building from the late 15th century with allegorical frescoes on the southern façade is also very interesting. The historical center is surrounded by a massive gothic wall system 2,5 km long. It is almost completely preserved – 6 of 15 bastions, 3 of which are gates are still there. The historical center of Levoča has been UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009.