Komárno District: Fortresses, Thermal Baths and Danube Landscapes

Komárno District combines historical traces along the Danube with protected wetlands, thermal baths, museums and a designated cycle route. If you would like to combine culture, waterscapes and relaxing excursions on your trip to Slovakia, you will find a wide range of options here: from Komárno’s fortress history and the thermal waters of Nesvady and Patince to astronomical observations in Hurbanovo.

Fortresses and Roman traces along the Danube

The so-called Old Fortress in Komárno was built in the 16th century on the site of a medieval castle. The fortress in Komárno is also part of the most extensive fortress system in Central Europe, which extends across the territory of Slovakia and Hungary. For your visit, this means an unusually broad historical perspective, as the complex does not stand in isolation but forms part of a cross-border military-historical context. The fortress is open to the general public all year round.

The western section of the Danube Limes also reflects the region’s long history. It ran for almost 600 km along the Danube from Bad Gögging in Germany through Austria to Iža in Slovakia. It followed the northern and eastern borders of the Roman provinces of Raetia, Noricum and northern Pannonia. In Komárno, historic entrance gates connect the historic centre with Nádvorie Európy; each of these gates bears the name of a Hungarian ruler.

Wetlands and thermal waters

Číčovské mŕtve rameno lies partly in the cadastral area of the municipality of Číčov in Komárno District and partly in the cadastral area of Kľúčovec in Dunajská Streda District. It is part of the Dunajské luhy Protected Landscape Area, which has a total area of 12,284.5 ha. This forms a substantial part of the Dunajské luhy Ramsar site, which has a total area of 14,488 ha. The body of water is home to rare aquatic and wetland communities and is designated as a habitat of international importance for waterfowl. Its precise geographical location is therefore just as characteristic as its protective and habitat function.

Several different thermal-water destinations are available for recreation and wellness. The thermal bath in Komárno draws its thermal water from a 1,060-metre-deep borehole. The water emerges at 45.2 °C and is fed into indoor and selected outdoor pools. Thermál Nesvady thermal bath is open all year round and uses geothermal water that emerges from a depth of 1,504 metres at 62 °C. The outdoor area of the thermal bath in Komárno offers up to seven different uses. Thermál Nesvady also has a seasonal children’s pool for children up to six years old. The thermal water in Patince is credited with beneficial effects on the musculoskeletal system.

Museums, observatory and cycle route

In Hurbanovo, the history of the observatory dates back to 1871. The observatory is open to the public during the day and in the evening and also offers night-sky observations. Visitors can also take an individual tour of the permanent exhibition at the M.-T.-Konkoly Museum. This adds a scientific and technological historical perspective to a visit to the region.

Kolárovo is home to the last surviving example of a floating mill and, at the same time, the only ship mill in Slovakia. The ship mill houses the Museum of Water Milling. The Kelemantia Roman and Ethnographic Museum in Iža can also receive visitors outside regular opening hours by prior arrangement. For cycle tourists, the 168 km Bratislava–Štúrovo section of EuroVelo 6 follows the Danube through Komárno as an easy road route.

Places for your regional selection

For further orientation in Komárno District, the pages for Buc, Patince, Radvaň Nad Dunajom, Hurbanovo, Bajč, Bodza, Bodzianske Lúky, Čalovec, Holiare, Chotín, Imeľ, Iža, Kameničná, Kolárovo, Lipové, Marcelová, Martovce, Nesvady, Okoličná Na Ostrove, Pribeta, Svätý Peter, Veľké Kosihy, Vrbová Nad Váhom, Zemianska Olča, Zlatná Na Ostrove, Komárno and Kravany nad Dunajom are available.

For the higher-level travel overview: Nitra Region.