Hostice: Landscape, Water and Culture in the Cerová vrchovina

Hostice lies in the valley of the Mačací potok amid the Cerová vrchovina. The village combines a distinctive landscape setting with a local history shaped by a Baroque church, a manor house and traditional songs. At the same time, a green-marked cycle tourism route and excursions into the Cerová vrchovina volcanic mountains lead directly into the natural surroundings. Hostice can therefore be explored both through its landscape and through its cultural traces.

Between Protected Landscape and Circular Route

The cadastral area of Hostice covers 2,112 ha and lies largely within a protected landscape area. From Hostice, excursions into the landscape of the Cerová vrchovina volcanic mountains are possible.

For cyclists, a specific route is documented: a green-marked cycle tourism route passes through Hostice and forms a circular route around the Cerová vrchovina. It thus describes a connection around the volcanic mountains and differs from a simple route to a single destination. Anyone wishing to understand the surroundings by bicycle will therefore find a documented circular route here as an independent landscape reference.

Hostice Reservoir and Habitats by the Water

The Hostice Reservoir lies 2 km beyond the village in the direction of Jesenské. Anglers from the surrounding area and farther afield use the reservoir as a fishing area.

In the territory of the CHKO Cerová vrchovina, wetland communities and riparian vegetation have developed in the upper areas of small multipurpose water reservoirs, including VN Hostice. These habitats serve several waterbird species as breeding grounds and sources of food. The aquatic landscape therefore also represents a documented connection between storage reservoirs, riparian vegetation and birdlife. The statement concerns the habitats described and their function; it is not evidence of specific observation times or regulated access.

Church, Manor House and Traditional Culture

The history of Hostice includes the Baroque Roman Catholic Church of St. Andrew the Apostle. It dates from 1787. In 1890, the church, together with the entire village, was destroyed by a major fire. It was restored between 1892 and 1913. This sequence makes the church a historical reference point for the village: its present context is shaped not only by its year of construction, but also by its destruction and restoration.

Local tradition also extends beyond buildings. The folk song “Ó ó farsang”, handed down in Hostice, also known as Gesztete, belongs to the adult folk songs for feast days. Connected with Hostice, likewise known as Gesztete, is the folk singer Motyovszki Józsefné Kovács Teréz, whose repertoire comprised more than 1,025 folk songs. Both details refer to cultural traditions and historical associations, not to a currently announced events program.

The surviving manor house of the Putnoky family in Hostice is in very poor condition.

A Historic Hiking Passage

Another connection to the Cerová vrchovina is the traditional hiking passage through the volcanic mountains. It took place for the 49th time on 12 October 2024. The full-day hike followed a green-marked trail through the valley to Hostice. The date and ordinal number place the entry historically within this hiking tradition; they do not indicate a future date.

Other Places for Orientation

For comparison with neighboring destinations within the same broader orientation, see also Veľké Teriakovce, Španie Pole, Abovce, Petrovce, Sútor, Gemerské Dechtáre, Rimavská Baňa and Rimavské Brezovo.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Rimavská Sobota.