Jablonica – Church, Calvary and Trails to the Malé Karpaty

Jablonica combines Baroque buildings, religious art and trails into the landscape of the Malé Karpaty. The settlement developed at the foot of the mountains along the old Czech road Via Bohemica. This brings historical orientation and active experiences together within a compact thematic area: the church, manor house and Calvary are central features of the townscape, while marked hiking trails and a yellow cycling route lead into the surrounding area.

Baroque Buildings and Special Details

The Kostol sv. Štefana kráľa is a three-nave Baroque building with an almost square ground plan and a rounded presbytery. Its construction began on 19 June 1729 and lasted six years. Particularly striking is the main altar with late Baroque ornamentation and larger-than-life sculptures of Saint Stephen, Saint Ladislaus, and the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Those interested in sacred architecture will find not only a historic façade here, but also unusually detailed interior furnishings.

The present-day manor house of Jablonica was built in the Baroque style after 1663. The two-storey building has three wings and two square corner towers on the main façade. Various events are held annually in the manor house and the outbuildings, including wine and beer festivals. Visitors can explore the complex on these occasions. The Calvary is attributed to J. J. Dorfmeister; the Baroque Calvary group was created from sandstone between 1756 and 1758. It stands on a small artificially raised central area enclosed by a stone balustrade.

Cemetery Chapel, Stations of the Cross and Golgotha

Another cultural focal point is Jablonica Cemetery. Behind a grille in the cemetery chapel stands a small altar with an image of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Stations of the Cross comprise 12 stations. At the end of the main path, a stone Holy Sepulchre with a statue of the dead Christ stands on a raised mound. Three wooden crosses on the mound represent Golgotha. Stylistically, the chapel corresponds to the small neo-Gothic brick sacred buildings of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The cemetery’s religious design can thus be viewed through several independent elements.

Hiking, Cycling and the Zrubárka Nature Monument

Several marked hiking trails lead from Jablonica into the CHKO Malé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area and the surrounding area. For cyclists, a yellow cycling route connects the town with the blue cycling highway that runs through Záhorie north of the Malé Karpaty, as well as with the cycling network on the Trnava side of the Carpathians near the Suchánka forester’s lodge. These two documented routes differ in their orientation: the hiking trails lead into the protected area and the immediate surroundings, while the cycling connection links two regional networks.

The Zrubárka spring is part of Jablonica’s natural landscape. It lies in a valley between a water reservoir and a quarry and is protected as a nature monument. The protected area includes a three-hectare complex of alder swamp forest and wet meadows. In the mountains, Zrubárka is one of the last springs to have remained in its natural state. For your travel planning, this creates a clear contrast between the historic sites in the town and a protected landscape with its own geological and biological character.

More Town Profiles

More town profiles: Šajdíkove Humence Šajdíkove Humence, Šaštín-Stráže Šaštín-Stráže, Kúty Kúty, Smolinské Smolinské, Podbranc Podbranc, Hradište Pod Vrátnom Hradište Pod Vrátnom, Sekule Sekule, Moravský Svätý Ján Moravský Svätý Ján.

To the overarching travel overview: Senica.