Topoľa

Topoľa (Тополя, Kistopolya) is a village and municipality in Snina District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia.

Geography
The municipality is located in Snina District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia. It lies at an altitude of 384 metres and covers an area of 26.384 km2. According to the 2013 census, it had a population of 159 inhabitants.

History
In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1337. The Greek Catholic wooden church of Archangel Michael located on the hill above the village dates back as far as 1700. There is a cemetery of soldiers, who fell in World War I, adjacent to the church. The name of the village is derived from topoľ, the poplar tree.

Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Topoľa was part of Zemplén County within the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1939, it was for a short time part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1944, as a result of the Slovak–Hungarian War of 1939, it was again part of Hungary. On 26 October 1944, the Red Army entered Topoľa and it was once again part of Czechoslovakia.

Protected areas and natural landmarks
The municipality is situated in the buffer zone of the Poloniny National Park. It offers easy access to most of the National Park's hiking trails. Havešová, a component of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also located close to the village.