LEVICE AND SURROUNDINGS
Krížny vrch and the Calvary
Easy, length 7.5 km, walking time 2.5h, accessible for cyclists
Both locations are found in the outskirts of Levice. They are connected by a country road, easily manageable on foot or by bike. An easy nature trail leads you across Krížny vrch, a vineyard area. Along the route, admire an old well and the Marian chapel, standing at the boundary of three villages’ cadastral areas.
A country road leads from Krížny vrch all the way to the Calvary. If you set out for the calvary hill from the centre of Levice, you have two options – climbing the steps from Hviezdoslavova Street, or a walk from Námestie hrdinov (Heroes’ Square) past the architecturally interesting building of the former Teacher Training Institute.
The original chapels on the calvary hill were badly damaged during the Second World War, the buildings fell into disrepair, and for several decades the Calvary disappeared entirely from local memory. Its restoration was carried out by the Patrimonium servandi civic association, and today it once again serves as a peaceful place for reflection, with a magnificent view of the town’s panorama from the lookout tower (opening hours).
LULA
Nature Trail: Discover the Local Treasures of Lula
Easy, accessible for cyclists, on foot for families with children, a rest area with benches and a fire pit at the end, length approximately 1km, walking time 0.5h.
The Stará hora site in the cadastral area of this picturesque village is graced by a short nature trail called Discover the Local Treasures of the Village of Lula. Interactive elements make the walk more engaging. The double-sided panels tell you more about the village itself, as well as interesting facts about the area’s nature and history.
At the end of the trail you can rest on wooden benches, or reward your children for the easy climb with a sausage grilled over the public fire pit provided here for visitors. Until recently, this site was believed to be where the second-oldest little church in Slovakia once stood. However, recent archaeological research has not confirmed this. Even so, a brick sanctuary still stands here, built by young people in the 1960s, where religious pilgrimages once took place.
BÁTOVCE
Nature Trail: Around the Town of Queens
Easy elevation gain, walking only, length 5.2 km, a loop route starting at the Lower Gate by St Martin’s Church, around the Lipovina reservoir, climbing through the vineyard area with its typical wine cellars – ľochy – up to the Borovica lookout point.
The Around the Town of Queens nature trail was built in 2014 and consists of 6 information panels with a panoramic view over the entire Bátovská basin.
Bátovce already held market-town privileges in the Middle Ages and was subject directly to the Queen – hence the name of the nature trail. The information panels provide an overview of the village’s history and its most important monuments, as well as its natural conditions, the Lipovina reservoir, and its winemaking tradition. The quiet, pleasant setting of both the nature trail and the Lipovina reservoir offers visitors a chance to relax in a still tourist-undiscovered and interesting spot.
TEKOVSKÉ LUŽANY
Nature Trail About the Village of Tekovské Lužany
Easy, short, right in the centre of the village
You can learn about the most important moments in the history and present of the village of Tekovské Lužany from an interesting nature trail located in the central part of the square. It consists of 16 information boards covering the most important historical events of the village as well as its present day, in both Slovak and Hungarian. You don’t need to walk for hours to see the whole collection – going round all the panels takes just a few minutes. This nature trail could well be considered the shortest in the region, if not in all of Slovakia.
