Miawa – History, Culture and Trails

Miawa combines everyday culture, Slovak history and marked trails into a destination with several distinct highlights. You can visit a permanent exhibition about rural life, explore historic sites in Myjava or choose longer hiking and cycling routes. Specific train and bus stops also make it easy to plan your journey.

Everyday Culture and History

One particularly vivid way to experience the region is the Gazdovský dvor in Turá Lúka. The permanent exhibition presents a typical Kopaničiar homestead from the late 19th century and introduces traditional ways of living and housing in the Myjava region. Guided visits are available. They cover everyday objects, crafts, the work cycle of the Kopaničiaren and folk costumes – in other words, different aspects of daily life and regional culture. A broader historical context is provided by the main exhibition of the SNM – Museum of the Slovak National Councils in Myjava. It covers nearly 170 years of the history of the Slovak people and their struggles for recognition of their independence, self-determination, sovereignty and own statehood. The museum complex also includes the House of Anna Koléniová. The first Slovak National Council met there in 1848. Another prominent structure is the Myjavská veža, the 67-metre-high tower of Myjava’s Tolerance Church, built in 1785.

Historic Trails and Longer Routes

If you would like to experience history not only in exhibitions but also through the townscape, the Historical Walking Tour through Myjava leads to eight information panels. They were installed in 2014 and contain dozens of historic photographs, accompanying texts and overview maps. In this way, the tour combines orientation in the town with visual and written material about the past. For a longer hike, the red-marked E8 hiking section no. 0701h is available. It runs from the central information point in Myjava via the Museum of the Slovak National Councils to Veľká Javorina and Holubyho chata. The section is 19.1 kilometres long. A different perspective is offered by the blue 4Cykloregio cycling route, rated SPORT in terms of difficulty. It passes through Brezová pod Bradlom, Košariská, Priepasné, Polianka, Myjava–Turá Lúka, Vrbovce and Chvojnica and is 42.9 kilometres long within the region.

Natural Environment and Regional Events

The natural environment includes the Myjava River, which was declared a natural monument in 1996. The protected area also includes the cadastral territory of Myjava. The protected landscape areas CHKO Biele Karpaty and CHKO Malé Karpaty also extend into the Myjava area. The events calendar has two clearly named cultural highlights. The three-day International Folklore Festival MYJAVA takes place in Myjava every year in June. The Deň sliviek is regularly held at the Gazdovský dvor in September. It includes, among other things, a tasting of spirits, the traditional cooking of plum jam and the preparation of plum dumplings.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

There are two specific reference points for arriving by public transport. Myjava railway station is about a 15-minute walk from the Museum of the Slovak National Councils. Myjava is connected by rail to Nové Mesto nad Váhom. The SAD bus stop in the centre of Myjava is about a five-minute walk from the museum. Both figures are approximate walking distances and refer to the museum as the reference point.

More Destinations to Compare

If you would like to compare Miawa with other destinations, you can also visit Brestovec, Kostolné, Poriadie, Lúka, Podkylava, Košariská, Vrbovce and Jablonka.

For the higher-level travel overview: Myjava.