Discover Malý Krtíš

Between the Krtíš Valley and Historical Memory

Malý Krtíš lies in the Ipeľ Basin, in the valley of the Krtíš stream. The centre is situated at 175 metres above sea level, while the cadastral area covers elevations between 162 and 281 metres. The area around the village is characterised by a dissected, deforested hilly landscape with flat ridges. These ridges were formed by Upper Tertiary deposits. Malý Krtíš can therefore be understood through two closely interconnected perspectives: the development of a historic village and the landscape of its valley.

A Village with a Varied History

Malý Krtíš is documented from 1251 under the name “Curtus, alia villa Cvrtus”. Other historical names reveal the linguistic and political history of the village: “Kyskwrthes” is recorded for 1482, “Maly Krtýš” appears in 1920, and the Hungarian name “Kiskürtös” is also known.

The village’s history did not follow a straight line. Malý Krtíš was occupied by the Turks from 1554 to 1593 and was completely abandoned at the beginning of the 17th century. Between 1715 and 1720, the village was mentioned again as a settlement; soon afterwards, it once again developed into a municipality. Those wishing to place the village’s history in context will therefore find not just a single founding narrative here, but traces of occupation, interruption, and resettlement.

Village Church Bell, Mill, and Crafts

One of the historical points of reference is the village church bell tower. It is a simple, masonry rural structure with a square floor plan dating from 1848. It contains a bell from 1824. Both dates are concrete testimonies to the local history of construction and the church.

The village’s former economic structure is also documented. In 1828, Malý Krtíš had 29 houses and 266 inhabitants who worked in agriculture. Sand for glass production was also extracted here. During the capitalist era, Malý Krtíš had a steam mill. The old mill, originally powered by steam, is falling into disrepair. Its condition clearly distinguishes it from a restored or actively used industrial monument and makes it a historical reminder of the former importance of processing and trade.

The municipal coat of arms symbolically refers to coal and quartz-sandstone seams, as well as to agriculture. It thus brings together several themes that recur in the village’s history: raw materials, work, and the use of the land.

Landscape and Local Orientation

Brown earth soils, potentially illimerised soils, floodplain soils, and alluvial soils occur in the area of Malý Krtíš. The named spring “Mädokýš” lies directly beside the bed of the local watercourse. Such specific landscape features add the geological and soil-science characteristics of the municipality to the initial impression of the Ipeľ Basin.

The municipal library and the cultural centre form a shared point of contact as the cultural centre of Malý Krtíš. A football pitch and a multi-purpose field with artificial turf are also documented. For your travel planning, the village can therefore be understood primarily through its historical development, its rural surroundings, and the clearly identified facilities on site. You can also visit the village pages for Dolné Príbelce, Lesenice, Širákov, Kamenné Kosihy, Kiarov, Veľké Straciny, Ľuboriečka, and Malá Čalomija.

For the broader travel overview: Veľký Krtíš District.