A beautiful natural formation – the Tree of the Year 2011. A small-leaved lime is a symbol of the town of Lipany (lipa means small-leaved lime in Slovak language). The first written record dates back to the 14th century when Lipany was called Sedem líp – Septemthillis (Seven Limes), the Hungarian form of the name was Héthárs and the German Siebenlinden. The city coat of arms depicts seven green lime leaves in a silver field.
Locals remember that there had been hundreds of lime trees in the city, however, they fell the victim of expansionism. Today, limes can be seen all over the town, even in the very center – the city park. There stands one special lime – allegedly the last of the seven pictured on the coat of arms. The small-leaved lime is over 320 years old, the trunk’s circumference is 536 centimeters and the tree itself is 23 meters high.
