The territory of present-day Bardejov has attracted settlers since the
Stone Age. Traces of human settlements in Bardejov can be traced back to around
20,000 B.C. However, the first written reference to the town dates back to the
1247, when monks from Bardejov complained to Béla IV about a violation of the
town’s borders by Prešov, a neighboring city. Mention of German settlers coming
up from Prešov is mentioned in these records, as well.
