A rich network of cycling routes weaves through the Tekov Region, starting at Slovenská brána (the Slovak Gate) in the north and reaching all the way to the mouth of the Hron River at the Danube in the south. It lets you discover the picturesque nooks of the Hron, the beauty of the wine-growing countryside with its distinctive Tekov folk costume and folklore, as well as the ancient history of the Esterházy era and lesser-known manor houses and mansions of the local gentry. Don’t forget to stop along your travels and breathe in the beauty of the countryside …
Dominant among the cycling routes are the Pohronská Cycling Magistrale and the Dr. Téry Cycling Magistrale. Both are interwoven with a dense network of green and blue cycling paths and yellow connector trails between them. The Pohronská Cycling Magistrale stretches from Tlmače all the way to the mouth of the river Hron at the Danube River, while the Dr. Téry Cycling Magistrale connects town of Dudince with the Štiavnica Mountains, though it only passes through the northeastern edge of the Tekov Region.
Some of the blue cycling routes also form loops. These include the blue MERIDIEM 2122 cycling route and, partly (for now), the yellow route 8103 (created by an association of the villages of Lula, Tehla, Veľký Ďur, Lok, Bajka, Tekovský Hrádok and Dolný Pial), offering cycling all the way to the village of Podhájska with a connection to Melek and Vráble, as well as to the Pohronská Cycling Magistrale from the village of Tekovský Hrádok. The blue Laurentius 5133 loop (connected to the MERIDIEM loop by the yellow connector 8148) takes you to the villages of Tekovské Lužany, Plavé Vozokany, Málaš and Farná.
Among the popular and relatively new cycling routes are the green routes 5125 and 5126, connected by the yellow connector 8150. The first runs along the foothills of the Štiavnica Mountains, through a wine-growing area with traditional čilejkársky folk costume and folklore, from Tlmače to Nová Dedina. Connector 8150 links it to route 5126 through the forests to the Žuhráčka hunting lodge, returning to the village of Devičany. Don’t forget to visit the nearby mining town of Pukanec. From there, the yellow connector 8121 takes you across a spur of the Štiavnica Mountains all the way to Nová Baňa.
Unmissable regional highlights, such as the breakthrough valley of the Sikenica River at Horša and the village of Brhlovce, famous for its rock dwellings, are traversed by the blue cycling route 2121. Its route begins at another significant landmark of regional history – Levice Castle. From Brhlovce, a road that doubles as the green cycling route 5135 takes you all the way to the spa town of Santovka, known for its mineral water, travertine formations, and the Filagória.
The green route 5124 also starts at Levice Castle, and (via a short branch off connector 8140) takes you to the majestic Vápnik travertine mound. It offers relaxation in a rest area, and from the lookout tower – the Memorial to the Liberation Battles – a panoramic view over every corner of Slovakia. Route 5124 continues through Kalinčiakovo (home to one of the oldest buildings in the Levice district – a Romanesque church) all the way to Krškany, where it connects to the cycling route running through the lower part of the Horšianska Valley (2121).
Past the protected area of the Levice Fishponds, the longer yellow connector 8103 takes you over footbridges across the Hron to Tekovský Hrádok and Dolný Pial (villages of the MERIDIEM loop) all the way to Bardoňovo, connecting to Podhájska. On the other side, the route connects to the green route 5124 toward Levice, and in the opposite direction to the Horšianska Valley.
Did one of the cycling routes catch your interest?
