Skalica: Culture, Wine Country and Excursions

Skalica combines historic architecture, wine-making traditions and varied routes through the countryside. If you are looking for a place for your trip to Slovakia with cultural activities and excursions on foot, by bike or on the water, Skalica offers several distinctly different experiences.

Historic Buildings with a Story of Their Own

The Rotunda of Saint George is an originally Romanesque building, probably constructed at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. Its upper part is connected to the fortifications and served a defensive function, while the lower part served as a chapel. The Franciscan Church of the Seven Sorrows of Mary is a Gothic building dating from the mid-15th century. The Franciscan monastery includes a cloister courtyard and a gallery in the cloisters. Another prominent landmark is the Dom kultúry, an Art Nouveau building that has been preserved in its original form since 1905. The building houses a permanent exhibition of the Záhorie Museum and the Júlia Korezsku Gallery. The Parish Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was converted during the Late Gothic period from a single-nave church into a three-nave basilica. Its tower offers views of Skalica and the surrounding area; the observation tower can be reached via 126 wooden steps. The Jesuit Church of Saint Francis Xavier also brings together different historical periods. It preserves historic stucco decoration, parts of frescoes, access to the crypts and an altarpiece that is among the largest in Slovakia. The exhibition on the history of printing in Skalica traces the beginnings of printing locally to the printing house founded by the Jesuits in the early 1670s. At the exhibition in the Pharmacy of the Brothers of Mercy, you can see restored furnishings from the mid-18th century as well as historic pharmacy objects. The restored Pilárik Brothers' mill is open to the public.

Wine and Regional Tradition

Skalický rubín is a wine from the Skalica wine-growing region and a blend of Skalická frankovka, Svätovavrinecké and Modrý portugal. On the surrounding slopes, there are more than 500 vineyard cottages used for processing and storing wine. Skalický trdelník is also part of the regional culinary tradition and is prepared traditionally in the black kitchen of the Franciscan monastery.

Cycling, Hiking and Water Experiences

From Skalica, cyclists can use routes to the Morava River, the Baťov Canal and Zlatnícka dolina. Marked hiking trails around Skalica lead, among other places, to Zlatnícka dolina, Čupy, Mlýnky, Chvojnica and Vrbovce. For a shorter nature excursion, the educational trail starts at Perúnska lúka by the Skalica fishponds. It is 500 metres long and includes eight stops. In the nearby Zlatnícka dolina, there is a public natural swimming area with three pools. Activities there include swimming, beach volleyball and sports equipment rental. On the Baťov Canal, boat excursions can include the route from Skalica to Strážnice and back and pass through a lock. This allows you to shape your stay in Skalica in different ways, between cultural monuments, wine country, nature trails and waterways. For further options when choosing a destination, you can also visit Kopčany Kopčany, Lopašov Lopašov, Holíč Holíč, Kátov Kátov and Vrádište Vrádište.

To the higher-level travel overview: Skalica.