Slovakia is often referred to as an automobile power, but it also dominates in another area.

About 120 castles have been preserved in its territory. Although most of them are currently among the ruins, they are still a great attraction for tourists and lovers of history. They would certainly not omit a compulsory stop in the lower part of the Nové Mesto nad Váhom district, where they will find a region that is pervading the past.

The valley, which is surrounded by three castles, begins in Beckov, passes through the district and ends at the border with the Trnava self-governing region. It stretches along our longest Váh River and is part of the Middle Považia region, which surrounds the White Carpathians and Považský Inovec. It was this territory that was also the border of the then Kingdom of Hungary in the past.

Today it is a modern region with good infrastructure, which lies on the main road between Bratislava and Žilina. When you look out of the window while driving on a train or in a car, you can also catch a glimpse of its well-preserved history, impersonated for example in the Beckov Castle. Just a short walk away you will discover the legendary Čachtický Castle and a few kilometers further, Tematín is off at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level.

In the past, the trio of castles had their defensive function. During their existence they replaced several owners - in the case of Cachtice resonating the name of Alžbeta Báthoryová, with Beck's joined the leader Stibor from Stiborice and Tematín before the centuries belonged to Matúš Čák Trenčianský. Today they belong to those national monuments that have not touched the fate of other important buildings and have not changed to complete ruins. On the contrary, Tematín has been operating since 2007 as a civil association, which is gradually repairing it. Čachtice and Beckov have again been recovering from Eurofunds.

The center of this valley lies in Novy Meste nad Váhom, which evolved from a medieval settlement to a crossroads of business routes. Its oldest name was Ujhela, a new market place, which suggests it was established as a new market settlement. During its history, it was one of the most important shopping centers in the west of our country, which was also famous for its viticulture, especially for Burgundy red. There was even a port on it, from which various goods, such as dried fruit or salt, were sent to the plains to Komarno. In the first half of the 18th century, the first industrial plants began to grow here; their massive development took place especially after the Second World War.

Today you will find several interesting historical buildings in Novomes nad Váhom. The center itself is decorated with Renaissance moscow houses such as Ghillanoviec, Nádasddyovec or the City Hall, the so-called Reissovec. The city is famous for its cellar network, some of which have several floors. Some of the corridors can also be led up to the outskirts of the city towards Cachticiam, where part of the labyrinth that runs alongside the village was made available two years ago.

A number of historic buildings will also be found in the villages that are located in this region. In Brunovce you can see a mansion with fragments of late-Renaissance paintings on the courtyard facade. In Kálnica, the original mural houses with floors belonging to the ancient folk architecture of Trenčín Považia and Pobebravia are preserved.

text: bass

photo by Ľuboš Balažovič