Nové Zámky: Thermal Baths, Nature and Culture

The Nové Zámky District brings together important protected areas, thermal traditions and a multifaceted cultural history. The Danube forms part of the district’s south-eastern border with Hungary. The road border crossings in Štúrovo and Salka, as well as the important railway junctions of Nové Zámky and Palárikovo, are relevant for orientation when travelling to the area.

Protected areas between wetlands and steppe

Berek Forest Park in Nové Zámky features oak trees more than 200 years old. Parížske močiare is a 590-hectare protected area and also the only confirmed breeding site of the moustached warbler in Slovakia. The 124-hectare Žitavský luh protected area preserves the last remnant of an original meandering watercourse. Spotted crakes and western marsh harriers breed there every year; the area is also an important resting and migration site for waterbirds, especially garganeys.

The Čenkovská step National Nature Reserve is one of two national nature reserves within the Čenkov protected area. It is also home to the only occurrence of Ephedra distachya in Slovakia. The Kamenínske slaniská represent a different type of natural area: the 144.74-hectare Natura 2000 site is located in Kamenín and Kamenný Most in the Nové Zámky District. The Burda Mountains are part of the Kováčovské kopce National Nature Reserve. One specific way to explore this landscape is the 30.5-kilometre cycling route around Burda. It starts and ends in Štúrovo and leads through Kamenica nad Hronom, Chľaba and Leľa.

Museums, traces of fortifications and regional history

The Múzeum Jána Thaina has permanent exhibitions on archaeology, history, ethnography and notable figures from the region. At the same time, it researches, collects and makes accessible the cultural heritage of Nové Zámky and the surrounding area – from archaeological finds and historical and ethnographic collections to valuable library holdings. The Galéria umenia Ernesta Zmetáka presents permanent exhibitions of European art from the 16th to the 20th century, as well as a permanent exhibition devoted to Lajos Kassák. Guided tours with commentary, workshops, lectures and film screenings complement the programme.

The cityscape of Nové Zámky preserves several prominent landmarks. The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1584 and 1585. The Baroque Trinity sculpture dates from 1749 and commemorates the great plague epidemic of 1740. Surviving bastions reveal the former fortress and the city’s hexagonal layout. The preserved Forgách Bastion is home to the Nové Zámky Calvary, dating from 1779.

The Palárikovo hunting lodge also combines architecture and landscape: the late Neoclassical building is set in an extensive English park and features a unique technical monument in the form of a wooden water tower. The château is open to visitors seasonally; guided tours take place on Tuesdays from 11:00 to 17:00. The Orthodox synagogue in Nové Zámky has survived to the present day. The rectangular, single-storey building has a choir; the synagogue and its grounds contain several Holocaust memorials. Group and individual visits can be arranged in advance through the tourist information centre or by email. The Zámeček archaeological tell near Nitriansky Hrádok was formed by the accumulation of settlements built by several generations around 5,000 years ago. Since 2007, a building there has housed an exhibition of the Šurany City Museum documenting the development of society, the city and its immediate surroundings.

Thermal water and regional specialities

Geothermal water was tapped in Podhájska in 1973; at a depth of 1,900 metres, it reaches up to 83°C. The thermal bath includes the Aquamarin wellness centre with bathing, vitality and sauna areas, as well as massage services. The thermal bath uses highly mineralised geothermal therapeutic water whose mineral composition is comparable to that of the Dead Sea. In Štúrovo, the Vadaš Thermal Resort extends across 25 hectares and has nine pools. The thermal water at Štrand Emila Tatárika emerges from a 1,506-metre-deep geothermal borehole and reaches 52°C.

A regional culinary speciality is Žitavská paprika. It has the status of a protected designation of origin of the European Union. For further orientation within the area, the following places are also available: Travnica, Kamenín, Nové Zámky, Podhájska, Parkan, Bánov, Bíňa, Branovo, Dolný Ohaj, Dvory Nad Žitavou, Gbelce, Hul, Chľaba, Jatov, Kamenný Most, Kmeťovo, Komjatice, Lipová, Ľubá, Malá Nad Hronom, Mana, Michal Nad Žitavou, Mužla, Nána, Nová Vieska, Palárikovo, Pavlová, Radava, Rastislavice, Rúbaň, Sikenička, Strekov, Svodín, Šarkan, Šurany, Tvrdošovce, Úľany Nad Žitavou, Veľké Lovce, Veľký Kýr and Čechy.

For the higher-level travel overview: Nitra Region.