Šoporňa on the Váh: Churches, Roads and Local History

Šoporňa lies in the Danubian Lowland on the left bank of the Váh and combines a distinctive local history with sacred buildings, historic routes and a river-shaped landscape. If you are looking for a place with tangible traces of the past rather than an interchangeable backdrop for your trip to Slovakia, Šoporňa brings together historical, religious, river-related and cultural themes.

Location on the Váh and orientation

Šoporňa lies about seven kilometres southeast of Sereď on the road towards Šaľa. From the Bratislava–Nitra motorway, the village can be seen on the right after Sereď. This location places Šoporňa between the Danubian Lowland, the Váh and the transport links of western Slovakia. The village was first mentioned in a document in 1251 under the name Supurni.

The history of the routes is also part of the character of the village. The most important Czech-Hungarian long-distance road from the Danubian Lowland through the Little Carpathians to Moravia ran through Šoporňa. A remnant of this historic connection is now a field road that separates the cadastral areas of Novčaš and Hony. This road has always been called Novozámska cesta. For the local history, this preserves not only an old name but also a tangible trace in the landscape.

Chapels and church

One of the notable sacred buildings is the chapel “Kaplnka Panny Márie na Štrkovci” in Štrkovec. It was built towards the end of the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style and has a Neo-Gothic façade with two small towers on the sides. Next to the chapel stands a wooden bell tower dating from the beginning of the 20th century, made of oak and fully reconstructed in 2007. The chapel and the bell tower thus represent two elements from different periods within the same village landscape.

Another sacred landmark is the “Kaplnka sv. Anny”. It was probably built in 1750 out of gratitude for the end of a plague epidemic. Several historic features come together in the church “Kostol Panny Márie Snežnej” in Šoporňa: The building was constructed in 1770, has a single nave, a polygonal presbytery and an incorporated tower. Inside are Baroque statues of Saints Peter and Paul from the second half of the 18th century.

Water landscape and local culture

In Šoporňa, the Váh is more than just a geographical designation. Historic water mills once stood on the Old Váh. After the Váh was regulated in 1933, they were moved opposite the church into the bed of the New Váh. Fishing is regularly practised near Šoporňa on the old branch of the Váh. In addition, the multifunctional cultural centre houses an exhibition room dedicated to folk traditions.

The region’s natural and land-use history is also documented: Šoporňa is known for a hunting ground focused on pheasant breeding. Together with the river branches, traditional routes and buildings, this creates a village landscape in which nature, history and local culture remain visibly side by side. More village pages: Gallandau (Gallandau), Horné Saliby (Horné Saliby), Veľký Grob (Veľký Grob), Matúškovo (Matúškovo), Šintava (Šintava), Vozokany (Vozokany), Košúty (Košúty) and Sládkovičovo (Sládkovičovo).

For the wider travel overview: Galanta.