Poľný Kesov: Thermal Baths, Equestrian Sports and Culture
Accommodation in Poľný Kesov
Poľný Kesov combines thermal water, equestrian sports, cycling and traces of different eras within a compact thematic area. The village lies in the valley of the Cedron stream between the Váh and Nitra rivers. This gives your trip to Slovakia several different points of interest: a water world with mineral-rich thermal water, equestrian experiences, an easy MTB circular route and local history dating from the Bronze Age to the 20th century.
ThermalPark Nitrava and Equestrian Sports
ThermalPark Nitrava in Poľný Kesov has 10 pools with thermal water and clean water. The thermal water is natural, mineral-rich, highly mineralized, hydrogencarbonate-sodium-containing and mildly alkaline. This precise composition is part of the thermal park's distinctive profile, without implying any additional medical properties.
The complex includes a slide hall with 4 indoor slides, 7 slide lanes and dedicated splash pools. The aquapark opened in August 2020 and operates during the summer season. Facilities include a children's water castle with slides and water attractions, a relaxation pool with a water bar, a lazy river and an adventure pool with a climbing wall. This allows the thermal park to be combined, depending on your preferred type of stay, with both active and more tranquil water activities.
A second focus is the Jazdecký klub Poľný Kesov. Riding lessons and trail rides in nature are offered there. The publicly accessible Santiaga Cup equestrian tournament also takes place regularly at the club. For your travel planning, this creates a clear contrast between the water-oriented thermal park and active equestrian sports.
Cycle Route and Landscape
Cycle Route 2118 passes through Poľný Kesov. The route is 43.1 kilometres long and designated as an easy MTB circular route for recreational cyclists. Those who plan cycling as a separate part of their trip will find a specific, measured circular route rather than merely a general description of the landscape.
The landscape also includes the Štepnice area. It has 35.5 hectares of secondary forest, dominated mainly by acacias and ash trees. Here, the term secondary forest refers to a forest that developed after an earlier alteration of the area. Together with its location in the Cedron valley, this creates a local landscape in which the stream, forest area and the cycle route passing through it connect different forms of movement and experiencing nature.
History and Local Culture
The historical evidence in Poľný Kesov reaches far back. The village contains settlement finds from a Hungarian-influenced culture of the Early Bronze Age, a Slavic settlement from the period of Great Moravia and a skeletal burial site from the 10th century. These finds represent different settlement phases and make it clear that the history of the village did not begin only with its more recent buildings.
Visible historical points of interest include a Baroque manor house from the 18th century and a Neoclassical wayside cross from 1795. The Church of Christ the King is located in an old Baroque barn that was converted into a church in 1940. This picture is complemented by a 19th-century bell tower.
Equestrian sports also have a historical dimension in Poľný Kesov: from 1814 to 1822, the first horse races in what was then Hungary took place here. The present-day riding club and the regularly held Santiaga Cup therefore stand alongside a documented older equestrian tradition.
For further comparison of destinations on the portal, Ivanka Pri Nitre, Vinodol, Dolné Lefantovce, Branč, Alekšince, Nitra, Nové Sady and Zbehy are also available.
More Destinations
More places within the same destination:
To the overview of the higher-level destination: Nitra.
