You can find them in several places around the town of Levice, in Santovka and in the spa town of Dudince. They form unique elements of the Levice Spring Line – travertine mounds linked to the springs of thermal mineral waters.

Majestic Vápnik

Travertine mounds often reach impressive sizes. A striking elevation in the middle of vast fields is also Vápnik hill (274 m above sea level), known to locals as Šiklóš. During the Second World War it was the headquarters of Marshal Malinovsky. The events are still commemorated by a memorial on top of the rock, with a wonderful view of the surroundings and a peaceful rest area. It is worth heading up to the viewpoint and admiring the surrounding countryside from above.

Vápnik hill is also famous for another unique feature – a luxurious decorative interior stone, rare in Central Europe – Levice golden onyx … In the early 20th century, and even during the Second World War, small utility and decorative objects were made from it in the workshops of the Ónyx-Aragonit cooperative. It forms part of the interiors of many buildings and sacral sites.

And if you head up to the viewpoint, don’t forget to try the “giant bench”, just a short distance from the majestic travertine rock. Sunrises and sunsets from it are stunning …

Thermal spas are inseparably linked with the “Land of Water”. You can experience them first-hand at the swimming pool in Kalinčiakovo right below Vápnik. A complex of four pools awaits you – Ilona, Eva, Tereza and Adam – with the most modern attractions, an auto-camp, sports grounds, restaurants and the related infrastructure. And a wonderful time in the middle of hot summer days.

Local viticulture is also linked to the Levice golden onyx. Taste craft-made wine or “champagne” in the colours of onyx, produced without the use of chemicals, at the winery under Šiklóš. The vineyards lie directly on the travertine bedrock, which gives the wines a unique taste and freshness.

From Romanesque times

The church with a Romanesque apse in the centre of Kalinčiakovo is considered the oldest building near Levice. It rises on a conspicuously rounded hill – a travertine mound.

In Kalinčiakovo you can also see two other attractions. One of them is a classicist manor house, today used for social purposes. Or set off to wander along the educational trail beside the never-freezing Surdok stream – in the shade of trees, dotted with wooden benches and birdhouses. It will lead you to an abandoned sand pit, and along the way you can watch bird life.

The legend of mineral waters

A conspicuous rounded protrusion also adorns the centre of Santovka. However, the White Stone (Biely kameň) is not the only travertine creation in the village. At the local thermal swimming pool you can sunbathe on several extinct travertine mounds, but you will also find them in the nearby Budzgov Meadows, in the valley of the Búr stream, where there are several of them, even with the original first natural pool carved out in the last century. But if you decide to go looking for them, keep your eyes open – in the field they are now hard to recognise because of the lush vegetation.

The uniqueness of Santovka lies precisely in its mineral water. It is rich in magnesium, calcium and rare lithium. You can draw and taste the naturally mineralised water directly at the mouth of Biely kameň. Or visit the Santovka mineral water shop right on the bottling plant premises, or have it delivered to your doorstep. It reaches the consumer in treated form – as spring or mineral water.

Summer relaxation is offered by the outdoor swimming pool in Santovka filled with water from a geothermal spring. Besides modern pools you can also try bathing in the Turkish-style Pamukkale baths and watch the ongoing formation of travertine in the surrounding terrain.

Before you leave Santovka, discover in the nearby forest park the most attractive spa building, the original exhibition pavilion of mineral waters with oriental decoration – Filagória from 1885, which was moved here from the exhibition in Budapest.

Living travertine

Before we leave the Levice Spring Line, let’s stray beyond the borders of the Levice district – to the spa town of Dudince. Besides five extinct travertine mounds in the spa park, you can also admire the only still active travertine mound on the spa promenade.

If you are an adventurer at heart, try to find one more “living travertine” – it forms from the outflow of water from the thermal swimming pool and offers a living picture of what the deposition of travertine means in practice.

Have fun by the water at the swimming pool in Dudince or enjoy one of the wellness services of the spa houses, or simply take a stroll along the picturesque spa promenade of Dudince.