Kopčany: Great Moravian History and Cultural Landscape

Kopčany combines Great Moravian history, a Baroque landscape and cross-border routes into a destination with an unusually rich cultural history. Particularly characteristic are the Kopčany Stud Farm, the Church of St Margaret of Antioch and the heritage zone with its archaeological sites. If you are looking for a place where historic buildings, museums and cycling connections come together to form a concrete travel idea, Kopčany offers several different ways to explore it.

Kopčany Stud Farm: History Across Several Exhibitions

The Kopčany Stud Farm was first mentioned in written documents in 1660. At that time, Adam Czobor had a large stud farm built; the present-day complex was constructed on its foundations. Today, it houses an ethnographic museum exhibition, a museum of the old stables, a visitor centre and an information centre. During the summer tourism season, the stud farm is open to visitors and tourists, and guided tours are also available.

The museum in Kopčany is housed in a former renovated chapel on the ground floor of the stud farm building. Its content focuses on the results of archaeological research in the municipality, particularly the latest research at the Church of St Margaret of Antioch. You must register in advance to visit the museum.

Great Moravian Traces and the Heritage Zone

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch dates back to the 9th century and is located in the area known as “Za jazerom pri svätej Margite” in the cadastral territory of Kopčany. It is the only surviving standing ecclesiastical building from the Great Moravian period in Central Europe. The area around the church belongs to the cross-border Mikulčice–Kopčany Archaeopark. The church is easily accessible to pedestrians and cyclists from the Slavic hillfort in Mikulčice via the Great Moravia Bridge. This bridge was built across the border river Morava and opened in 2019.

The Kopčany heritage zone preserves an important group of archaeological sites dating from the 9th to the 10th century. From September to June, guided tours are available there by prior arrangement. The guided tour “Monuments of Great Moravia” connects the ethnographic museum on the history and finds of Kopčany with Kačenáreň, the Church of St Margaret of Antioch, the settlement of the guards, the ruler’s court, the Great Moravia Bridge and the Slavic Hillfort Centre in Mikulčice.

Kačenáreň and the Baroque Landscape

Kačenáreň is a reconstructed farm building associated with F. Š. Lotrinský; the reconstruction was completed in 2022. Originally, the building was part of an economic complex for catching wild waterfowl, created by the Dutch specialist Jacob Bodes. Kačenáreň thus adds another historical layer of the cultural landscape to the Great Moravian themes.

The “Experience the Baroque Landscape” tour focuses on the stud farm and its architecture, a chapel with the current exhibition “Odievanie v premenách času”, a multimedia presentation of the functional Baroque landscape and the representative part of the chateau. In the context of East-Central Europe from the 8th to the 10th century, the Mikulčice–Kopčany agglomeration possesses exceptional and unique value. The Kopčany Archaeopark also includes a winding section of the Great Moravian Road.

Cycle Paths between Kopčany and Mikulčice

High-quality cycle paths run through the Kopčany heritage zone, connecting Skalica with Mikulčice via Holíč and the Great Moravia Bridge. For a clearly defined circular route, one cycle circuit listed by TIK Skalica runs from Skalica via Holíč and Kopčany back to Skalica; it is 25 kilometres long. The landscape of the Mikulčice–Kopčany Archaeopark has two viewpoints. This allows you to combine a historical visit with a cycling route and the scenic impressions of the Archaeopark without having to combine the individual attractions into a single tour.

Other Reasons to Visit

The Kopčany riding hall can be rented by individuals and is also used for riding courses and competitions. The traditional Hubertova jazda offers an extensive themed programme. For comparison with other destinations, you can also visit Kátov, Holíč, Lopašov, Skalica and Vrádište.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Skalica.