Bžany on the western shore of Veľká Domaša: Beaches, trails and churches

Between the Domaša Reservoir and the Low Beskids

The municipality of Bžany lies on the western shore of the Veľká Domaša Reservoir on the Ondava River. The reservoir is located in the Ondavská vrchovina, a mountainous area of the Low Beskids. For your travel planning, this creates a combination of lakeside scenery, water sports and trails in a distinctly hilly setting. Those who choose accommodation in Bžany can therefore explore the area through several different types of activities: by the water, on marked hiking trails and at historic churches.

Valkov and Tíšava by the water

The Valkov recreation area is also located on the western shore of the Veľká Domaša Reservoir and forms the centre of the Stropkov part of the Domaša area. The recreation centre is divided into the northern Valkov area and the southern Tíšava area.

The Valkov recreation centre offers good conditions for bathing, swimming, diving, boating and windsurfing. Valkov's public beach is characterised by grass and gravel and has a gently sloping entrance to the water. Tíšava Beach, by contrast, has sand and grass as well as a very gently sloping entrance to the water. Tíšava is considered particularly suitable for families with small children. The recreation area also includes children's playgrounds, a beach volleyball court, showers, a snack bar and rental facilities for small watercraft.

Autokemp Tíšava offers more than 60 pitches for tents and 20 pitches for caravans. Both types of pitch have water and electricity connections.

Hiking trails and sacred art

If you do not want to spend your entire stay by the water, the marked hiking trails in the Valkov area connect to the red-marked Cesta slobody trail. This trail is part of the Slovak and European network of hiking trails. The hiking option is therefore connected to a larger trail network via a specifically named route.

The cultural attractions include the Church of Chrám sv. Mikuláša biskupa. Its altar with the projecting iconostasis dates from the period when the church was built. The same church also contains a tempera Madonna painting on wood with a Rococo frame, dating from the second half of the 18th century. The projecting iconostasis is an image screen decorated with icons in the church interior.

Valkov is home to the late Baroque single-nave Church of Chrám ochrany Presvätej Bohorodičky, built in 1817. Its attic houses a colony of Geoffroy's bats (M. emarginatus) with more than 2,000 females. In Bžany itself, the Neoclassical church was probably built in 1825 and restored in 1886. The sacred landmarks form a chronological sequence from the Madonna painting from the second half of the 18th century, through the church in Valkov from 1817, to the church in Bžany, probably built in 1825.

For further orientation, you can also include Havaj and Stropkov in your plans.

For the broader travel overview: Stropkov District.