Cultural heritage routes

Mojmírovce region - Slovakia

Exploring Ponitrie - a journey through the cultural and historical landmarks Mojmírovce region - Slovakia The theme of the route is focused on religious buildings from the Romanesque period, as there is a high number of well-preserved structures of this kind located in the Nitra region. The Romanesque style dominated art and culture since the end of the 10th century until the first half of the 13th century in western Europe and the evangelized regions, as well. Romanesque architecture reached Slovakia in the 11th century, continuing the tradition of the Great Moravian Empire (Kostoľany pod Tríbečom). Many Romanesque structures have been destroyed or built over with newer architecture. A rare exemption represents the well-preserved, single apse rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica. The most active constructors were the Benedictines, the Premonstratesians and Cistercians. However, there are not many Romanesque paintings or sculptures, that would last until the present day. The most important wall paintings that were preserved are located in the village of Kostoľany pod Tríbečom. Click here to explore this route! »

Grasalkovich´s land Mojmírovce region - Slovakia The theme of the route is focused on religious buildings from the Romanesque period, as there is a high number of well-preserved structures of this kind located in the Nitra region. The Romanesque style dominated art and culture since the end of the 10th century until the first half of the 13th century in western Europe and the evangelized regions, as well. Romanesque architecture reached Slovakia in the 11th century, continuing the tradition of the Great Moravian Empire (Kostoľany pod Tríbečom). Many Romanesque structures have been destroyed or built over with newer architecture. A rare exemption represents the well-preserved, single apse rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica. The most active constructors were the Benedictines, the Premonstratesians and Cistercians. However, there are not many Romanesque paintings or sculptures, that would last until the present day. The most important wall paintings that were preserved are located in the village of Kostoľany pod Tríbečom. Click here to explore this route! »

Monuments from the Romanesque period Mojmírovce region - Slovakia The theme of the route is focused on religious buildings from the Romanesque period, as there is a high number of well-preserved structures of this kind located in the Nitra region. The Romanesque style dominated art and culture since the end of the 10th century until the first half of the 13th century in western Europe and the evangelized regions, as well. Romanesque architecture reached Slovakia in the 11th century, continuing the tradition of the Great Moravian Empire (Kostoľany pod Tríbečom). Many Romanesque structures have been destroyed or built over with newer architecture. A rare exemption represents the well-preserved, single apse rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica. The most active constructors were the Benedictines, the Premonstratesians and Cistercians. However, there are not many Romanesque paintings or sculptures, that would last until the present day. The most important wall paintings that were preserved are located in the village of Kostoľany pod Tríbečom. Click here to explore this route! »

The castles and mansions of the Ponitrie region Mojmírovce region - Slovakia This route offers an interesting tour through selected castles, their ruins and also well-preserved manor-houses of the Nitra region. The chosen area features one well-preserved castle complex (the Nitra castle), two castle ruins (Gýmeš and the Topoľčianky castle) and three manor-houses (Mojmírovce, Topoľčianky and Vieska nad Žitavou). Aristocratic families living in Nitra descended from the aristocrats of the Great Moravian Empire and were the most numerous in Hungary. Most of the castles were built by local aristocratic families after the Tatar raids in 1241: Gýmeš was built in the first half of the 13th century by the influential Forgáčs and the Čák family finished the construction works on the Topoľčianky castle. Probably the most interesting is the Nitra castle, built during the 11th and 12th century on the site of the former Great-Moravian hill-fort from the 9th century and it is listed among the oldest castle complexes situated in a town. During the 17th and 18th century, most of the castles in the Ponitrie region began to dilapidate, many were burned down upon the king’s orders and lay in ruins ever since. What brought this misfortune upon them was the fact, that they were considered to be centers of the anti-Habsburg resistance. Only the Nitra castle remained permanently habitable, being the Nitra bishops’ seat ever since the beginning of the 11th century. The lower and petty aristocracy built smaller residences in the Ponitrie region – firstly small castles and later manor-houses, situated in the center or the outskirts of the particular settlement. The medieval manor-houses served, first of all, as defensive fortification structures. However, since the 16th century, their role shifted to purely representative purposes, the Renaissance changed them into relaxation centers. Considered to be a jewel of the Renaissance, the Topoľčianky manor-house features a well-preserved library, original interior and furniture from the 16th till 19th century. The original structure had been a Gothic castle but was later redesigned in the Classicist style. In the past, it used to serve as a summer residence of the Habsburgs and until 1950, of the Czechoslovakian presidents, as well. In the beginning of the 18th century, many Baroque aristocratic residences, very pompous and luxurious, are being built, often upon the foundations of other buildings. A good example of such structures represents the Baroque manor-house of the Hunyadis in Urmín, built in 1723.       Click here to explore this route! »