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Region · Bratislava and Western Slovakia
Trnava, the “Little Rome” of churches, the thermal spa resort of Piešťany, Skalica and the Záhorie plain and the large Danube island, Žitný ostrov.
In the photo: Trnava’s historic centre.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The region
The Trnava region stretches from the Morava River, on the border with Austria and the Czech Republic, to the Danube, on the border with Hungary. To the north are the Záhorie hills and the Little Carpathians; to the south, the fertile plain of Žitný ostrov, between two branches of the Danube, where a large part of the population speaks Hungarian.
Trnava received the privileges of a royal free town in 1238, among the earliest in the Slovak territory, and from 1635 hosted the university founded by Archbishop Péter Pázmány. The towers of the churches and convents earned the town the nickname Little Rome. The centre, enclosed by a long stretch of wall, has the City Tower, with a viewpoint, and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
Piešťany, in the Váh valley, is Slovakia’s best-known spa resort, with thermal waters and sulphurous mud used in treatments. The bathing island lies on the other side of the Colonnade bridge, which has at its entrance the statue of the man breaking the crutch, the city’s symbol. In the Little Carpathians, east of Trnava, stands Smolenice Castle.
In Záhorie, Skalica has a Romanesque rotunda and is known for trdelník, a rolled dough pastry roasted on a spit, and for its wine. In Holíč, an 18th-century manor served as a summer residence for Maria Theresa and Francis of Lorraine. To the south, Žitný ostrov has thermal parks and the Danube’s side branches, popular with kayakers and cyclists.
Flavors of Slovakia
Destinations
Cities
Capital of the Trnava region, on the western plains of the country. The town center within the medieval walls includes the City Tower from 1574, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, an early Baroque work in the region, and the Basilica of St. Nicholas, of Gothic origin. The Museum of Western Slovakia occupies a 13th-century convent beside the walls.
The largest thermal spa in Slovakia, on the banks of the Váh. The waters emerge from the ground at almost 70 °C and, together with sulfurous mud, are used in treatments for rheumatism. The baths are on the Spa Island, linked to the centre by the Colonnade Bridge, where the sculpture that became the symbol of the town stands. The Balneological Museum tells the history of the spa.
From May to September, generally, the thermal parks of Žitný ostrov open their outdoor pools, and towns hold festivals in the squares. The Piešťany spas operate year-round. In spring and autumn, the mild weather is good for walks in the Little Carpathians and the Záhorie vineyards. Winter is cold and the plains usually see only a few days of snow.
Trnava is about 50 km from the capital, along the D1 motorway, and is a stop on the train line between Bratislava and Žilina, which continues to Piešťany. For those arriving by plane, Bratislava (BTS) and Vienna (VIE) are the nearest airports. Skalica and Holíč are reached via Záhorie roads, and Žitný ostrov via Dunajská Streda, southeast of Bratislava, served by regional trains and buses.
Your questions
Climb the City Tower, walk the town wall and visit the centre’s churches, including the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the former university complex. The town is close enough to the capital for a day trip by train.
The thermal waters and sulphurous mud of Piešťany are used in treatments for rheumatic conditions and rehabilitation. Besides medical stays, the spa offers pools and baths for day visitors; check in advance which services are open to the public.
It is a pastry made from dough rolled onto a wooden cylinder and roasted while turning over heat, coated with nuts and sugar. The Skalica recipe has Protected Geographical Indication in the European Union and is sold in the town’s bakeries.
It is the plain between the Danube and its branch Malý Dunaj, southeast of Bratislava, considered the largest river island in Europe, with most of it in the Trnava region. It has thermal parks, such as those at Veľký Meder and Dunajská Streda, and a strong Hungarian cultural presence.
