Ladice between Drevenica, folk culture and historical heritage

Ladice lies at the southeastern foot of the Tribeč Mountains, where the mountain range transitions into the Žitava Hills. The village stretches in a semicircular shape along both banks of the Drevenica stream and lies at an elevation of 160 to 400 m. Ladice thus combines a clearly identifiable landscape setting with an unusually dense concentration of historical and cultural heritage.

Landscape and trails around Ladice

Two hiking experiences with different characteristics are available for getting around on foot. The green-marked hiking trail 5129 connects Oponice and Ladice and passes stops 4 to 9 of the Kostoliansky educational trail.

Shorter and very specific is the section near the tourist signpost “Ladice, OcÚ”. It crosses a bridge over the Drevenica. The signpost stands at an elevation of 196 m; parking is available. The section, classified as easy, is 0.2 km long and takes about 3 minutes. Particularly when compared with the longer connecting trail, this reveals another side of the village: a short, clearly defined section along the Drevenica stands alongside a route linking Ladice with Oponice and the Kostoliansky educational trail.

Getting there and finding your way around

If you would like to reach Ladice by regional bus, route 407414 connects Zlaté Moravce with Kostoľany pod Tríbečom. The timetable provided here is valid from August 1 to December 12, 2026. In Ladice, the route serves four stops: “Ladice, železničná zastávka”, “Ladice, PD”, “Ladice, kostol” and “Ladice, domovina”. The full stop names make it easier to identify locations within the village, without implying any specific distance to individual sights.

Church, museum and traditional architecture

A central cultural site is the Roman Catholic Church of All Saints. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style, renovated around 1790, and restored and repainted again at the beginning of the 20th century. Inside the church, a Gothic bell bearing the year 1315 now stands on a pedestal. The bell provides a distinctly older accent within the church, which was later altered and restored several times.

The former Catholic school building now serves as a museum with numerous historical exhibits. Another testament to the local history of architecture and everyday life is Folk House No. 100, dating from the 19th century. It is made of unfired bricks, plastered and whitewashed, and has a three-part floor plan. Ladice cemetery also contains seven carved wooden tombstones from the 19th century, as well as several cast-iron tombstones.

Folk culture and historic memorial sites

The local folk culture includes the Hajnalkert folklore ensemble. Its repertoire comprises various folk songs, traditional customs and the ladder dance typical of Ladice. The ensemble was founded in 1969 initially as a women’s choir; men joined a year later, leading to the development of a folklore ensemble dedicated to preserving folk traditions. Hajnalkert takes part each year in numerous events in Slovakia, Hungary and Austria.

A stone statue of Saint Urban dating from 1834 stands on a vineyard hill on the Tekov side of Ladice. It is positioned on a tall column that tapers towards the top. At the lower end of Ladice, the stone remains of a square pillar have also been preserved, probably the remains of a monument. According to local tradition, it dates from the period of Ottoman rule and commemorates a canon of Nitra and his retinue. The Turkish Monument is connected with the attack by an Ottoman detachment on the procession of a canon of the Nitra Chapter in the immediate vicinity of Ladice, shortly after the Battle of Veľké Vozokany in 1652.

You can find further village pages in the Slovakia travel section for Obyce, Žikava, Goldmorawitz, Hostie, Slepčany, Jedľové Kostoľany, Nemčiňany and Beladice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Zlaté Moravce.