Nitra

The region

Get to know Nitra

The Nitra region occupies the plain of southwest Slovakia, between the Váh, Nitra and Hron rivers and the Danube, which forms the border with Hungary. It is the country’s most agricultural area, with fields, vineyards and thermal baths, and in the south, in towns such as Komárno and Štúrovo, Hungarian is the everyday language.

Nitra is considered the oldest city in Slovakia. In the 9th century it was the seat of Prince Pribina’s principality, where, around 828, one of the region’s first Christian churches was consecrated. On the castle hill stand the Cathedral of Saint Emeram and the bishop’s palace, and nearby the Zobor hill, with trails and viewpoints, rises beside the town.

Komárno, at the confluence of the Váh and the Danube, has one of the largest fortification systems in Central Europe, built between the 16th and 19th centuries, and the Europe Courtyard, a square with facades inspired by the architecture of several countries. On the other side of the bridge is the Hungarian town of Komárom. Nearby, at Iža, the remains of the Roman fort Kelemantia are inscribed by UNESCO along with other sites of the ancient Roman frontier along the river.

At Štúrovo, the Maria Valéria Bridge crosses the Danube to Esztergom and its basilica in Hungary. The thermal baths of Štúrovo, Patince and Komárno use hot springs from the plain. In Topoľčianky, a castle and a stud farm of purebred horses lie at the foot of the Tribeč hills.