Nováky: Reservoir, Culture and Mining History

Nováky lies in the Upper Nitra Basin and combines a distinctive waterscape with traces of mining history and significant cultural monuments. The Nitra River flows through the western part of the town. This creates different focal points for planning your trip: activities on the water, nature observation, sacred architecture and historical evidence of industrial development exist side by side.

Reservoir and Canoeing

The Nováky Reservoir, also locally called Novácke jazero, covers 18 hectares. Visitors use its shores for walking, running, canoeing, cycling and fishing. The lakeshores therefore serve various water-related leisure activities.

Its creation is also connected with the town’s industrial history: the reservoir was built in the 1950s to cool the technical facilities of the Nováky thermal power plant and to regulate the flow of the Nitra. The Nováky Racing Canoe Club is based at the lake. The Novácka päťstovka is also part of this theme. It is a traditional canoeing event; its 54th edition took place in 2026.

Wetlands and the Landscape in the Nitra Valley

The Novácko-Košské wetlands are located in the vicinity of Nováky, between Nováky and Prievidza, near the Nitra and Handlovka rivers. They arose as a result of mining-related ground subsidence, which led to the formation of bodies of water and wetlands from around 1985 onwards. Amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects, birds and various plant species have been recorded in these wetlands. The landscape thus demonstrates a distinctive combination of the consequences of mining, bodies of water and diverse habitats.

Transport and Spatial Orientation

Roads I/9 and I64 pass through Nováky. Railway line 140 from Nové Zámky to Prievidza also runs along the edge of the town. These two transport axes place Nováky within the region without reducing the town to a mere transit station: the town and its immediate surroundings also feature natural and cultural attractions that can be considered independently of one another.

Churches, Monuments and Mining History

The Church of Saint Nicholas is one of the most significant sacred monuments in Nováky. The present church was built from 1700 to 1703 in the Classicist style on the site of an older church. The Chapel of Saint Juliana served as a funerary chapel. Its central circular floor plan and domed roof give the building a clearly recognizable architectural form.

Another historical attraction is the Elekovská-Majtényiho kúria. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century in the Renaissance style as a residence for the lower nobility, has been a national cultural monument since 1963 and is listed in the Central List of Monuments of the Slovak Republic. The Monument to the Miners of Nováky commemorates generations of miners whose work significantly influenced the town’s development. Uhoľná stopa is an educational mining trail about the region’s mining history.

More recent historical points of reference are also part of the townscape. The SNP Monument is located at Námestie SNP in front of the Nováky Town Office. A monastery of the Order of Notre Dame has existed in Nováky since 1941.

Mountains and Other Regional Destinations

Within the wider landscape, the Vtáčnik Mountains lie between Prievidza, Handlová, Nováky and Partizánske. They offer opportunities for hiking and mountain biking. For further orientation within the same broader region, you can also view Veľká Čausa, Nitrica, Cigeľ, Diviaky Nad Nitricou, Temeš, Ráztočno, Lehota Pod Vtáčnikom and Šútovce.

For the broader travel overview: Prievidza.