Lewenz: Culture, Vineyards and Nature Reserves

Lewenz combines a multifaceted cultural history with wine-growing landscapes and protected natural areas. Those looking for accommodation in the city will find a variety of points of interest for their trip: museums and historic buildings, the landscape of Kalvária, vineyards on Krížny vrch, as well as wetlands and nature reserves in the area around Levice.

Museum and Historical Sites

The Tekov Museum offers particularly broad access to the region’s history. Its archaeology exhibition explores social development from the Stone Age to the early Middle Ages in the museum’s area of activity. It also covers the Želiezovce, Maďarovce and Čaka cultures, named after archaeological sites in the Levice District. The museum’s programme also includes exhibitions, classical music concerts and lectures. Events such as the Night of Museums and Galleries and Museum Week expand this cultural programme.

Several buildings make the city’s past visible across different historical periods. The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was built by the Esterházy family between 1773 and 1780 after a major city fire. Dobó Manor is a two-storey Renaissance fortified manor house from the second half of the 16th century. Jewish history is also part of the townscape: the first synagogue in Levice was built in 1853 or 1854.

Kalvária, Wine-Growing and Views

Levická Kalvária combines religious history with an educational trail and a lookout point. It comprises 14 Stations of the Cross chapels and the restored remains of a historic church from the 18th century. The educational trail provides information about the site’s history, flora and fauna and leads to a panoramic information board with views of the area around Levice.

The lookout tower is particularly relevant for getting your bearings in the area: in favourable weather, it is open from May to October on Sundays and public holidays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The former Schoeller manor cellars lie below Kalvária. Wines from local producers can be tasted there by prior arrangement. More than 70 hectares of vineyards and around 250 Hajloks, or wine cottages, shape the landscape on Krížny vrch. Another educational trail in the wine-growing area runs between these Hajloks.

Water and Protected Landscapes

The Levické rybníky ponds on the Perec stream represent a different type of landscape. The protected area was designated in 1974, covers 91.83 hectares and directly borders the built-up area of Levice. A recreational zone established in 2013 and information boards explain the area’s origins and significance, as well as its flora and fauna.

Horšianska dolina also represents the natural-history side of the surrounding area. It is a national nature reserve in which protection levels 3 and 4 apply; part of the area is of European importance. For an outing with a stronger focus on leisure, the Margita–Ilona recreational facility is located 6 km from Levice in the direction of Šahy, in the Kalinčiakovo district. It includes an outdoor swimming pool with four pools, as well as sports fields.

Other Destinations in the Area

For further travel planning, you can also consider Jesenské, Veľké Kozmálovce, Podlužany, Lok, Želiezovce, Pohronský Ruskov, Ondrejovce and Ipeľský Sokolec as further destinations in the same surrounding area.

For the higher-level travel overview: Levice.