Marianka – Pilgrimage, Culture and Trails in the Little Carpathians

Marianka combines an exceptionally long pilgrimage tradition with religious buildings, woodland landscapes and signposted trails. The town is Slovakia’s oldest pilgrimage site and was also the first Marian pilgrimage site in the former Kingdom of Hungary. For your travel plans, the contrast between the historic Marian shrine and the routes through the wooded surroundings of the Little Carpathians is particularly interesting.

Pilgrimage and historic buildings

The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is at the centre. It is originally Gothic and preserves its Gothic structure. Most of the architectural monuments in the Marian Valley, by contrast, date from the Baroque period, allowing different eras of religious architecture to be seen in one place. The Rotunda Chapel of the Holy Spring was built in 1696 over a miraculous spring. The Lourdes Grotto is also part of the town’s religious character; it was created in the first half of the 20th century.

The Marian Way was created at the beginning of the 18th century between the church and the Chapel of the Miraculous Spring. Six accompanying chapels were built along this route, dedicated to events from the life of the Virgin Mary and to her feast days. The most important annual event in Marianka is the Marian pilgrimage on the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on 8 September.

Stations of the Cross in a wooded landscape

Another notable complex is the Stations of the Cross. It consists of 14 stations, including 13 chapels, and contains fifty life-size statues. The Stations of the Cross are located in a wooded landscape on a slope above the Lourdes Grotto, on the left bank of the Mariánsky potok, formerly known as Kláštorný potok.

The eastern part of Marianka’s monument zone belongs to the Malé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area. The pilgrimage site is situated in surroundings of the Little Carpathians enclosed by forests. In addition, the Bratislava–Hodonín section of the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius passes through Marianka.

Slate mining as an unusual local feature

Next to the third Marian chapel in the Marian Valley is a mini-exhibition on slate mining. Using photographic and documentary materials, together with expert explanations, it provides an overview of the history of slate extraction and processing. The exhibition is considered the smallest mining exhibition in Slovakia. Directly connected to it is a preserved slate adit with three mining chambers; it is not open to the public. The exhibition and the locked adit make the former mining activity visible, without creating an accessible underground tour.

Hiking and cycling around Marianka

For a longer hike, the signposted circular route “Na Pajštún” is a good option. It leads from Marianka via Borinka, Pajštún, Pod Kozliskom, Dračí hrádok, Svätý vrch and Klčovanice back to Marianka. The trail begins at the SAD bus stop above the monastery complex in Marianka. Another connection is the approximately 10 km walking route from Marianka to Rača via Malý Slavín, Pánova lúka and Malá Baňa.

There are also specific routes documented for cycling. The cycling circuit from Devínska Nová Ves via Devínske jazero, Stupava, Marianka and Záhorská Bystrica is 30 km long and has 300 m of elevation gain. The cycling tour to Marianka follows the yellow cycling tourism sign “C”, also known as cycle route 8008, and runs along a dirt track to Marianka’s main square. The “Devínske jazero – Stupava – Marianka” cycle route ends in Marianka; its final section also runs along a dirt track.

Other local pages

For further orientation, you can also find Borinka, Stupava, Lozorno and Malacky.

For the higher-level travel overview: Malatzka.