The first written notice about Spišská Sobota is from the year 1256. In the 13-th century it was an important trade centre, a town with a right to have its own sign. As a result of German immigration it became the most important town in the Spiš region. Between 1412 and 1772 it was (as a part of a deposit) given to the Polish King Zigmund as counter-value for the financial loan.
In 1567 Spišská Sobota was awarded a right to promote open markets. The town was a centre of crafts, trade and culture. The most dominant crafts in the 17-th and 18-th century were: shoe´s, boot´s, tailor´s, furier´s and button´s craft. As the only Spiš town it had a bookstore in 1821.
In 1876 it became a seat of Slúžnovský district, a court, and a tax office. The town is rich on historical cultural monuments. Since 1950 it has been a municipal cultural reserve.
Many gothic, renaissance and baroque townsmen houses remained preserved up to present day. In the centre, there is a church of St. James. Originally it was a late roman church (1273), but it gained some gothic features (1464). Its main altar is a late-gothic one (1516). It was made by Master Paul from Levoča. In the northern part of Spišská Sobota, there is St. Anna chapel from the 16-th century and next to the church please notice a renaissance belfry from the year 1598. There is an evangelic classicistic church from the year 1777 as well.
