Smolinské: Churches, Chapels and Cultural Landscape

Smolinské combines a gently hilly landscape with several cultural and historical sites. If you are looking for a place with churches, chapels, memorials and a rural character for your trip to Slovakia, the municipality offers several clearly distinguishable points of interest. Smolinské lies 3 km north of Šaštín-Stráže. The nearby town is an established pilgrimage site, where thousands of believers from Slovakia and Moravia gather every year.

Landscape between the hilly region and the bird protection area

Smolinské lies in the Chvojnická pahorkatina, at the transition from the Záhorská nížina to the Myjavská pahorkatina and in a valley of a tributary of the Myjava. The cadastral area is gently hilly: the flat section consists of aeolian sands, while the hilly landscape is characterized by loess-covered Neogene deposits. Nature also has a clearly documented significance. The protected Záhorské Pomoravie bird protection area encompasses the cadastral area of Smolinské. It was established to protect the habitats of bird species of European importance as well as migratory birds.

Church, chapels and religious monuments

A central cultural and historical landmark is the Kostol Svätého Jakuba church. It was built in 1720 on the site of an older Gothic church and expanded in 1924, acquiring its present form in the process. The tower remained largely unchanged during the 1924 renovation. On 14 November 2004, the restored church and its new altar were consecrated.

Other religious buildings include the Kaplnka Panny Márie Lurdskej, built in 1891 in the Neo-Gothic style, and the Kaplnka Najsvätejšej Trojice, built in 1820 in the Gothic style. The bell tower in the centre of Smolinské dates from the late 18th century. The statues of Saint Wendelin and Saint Florian, dating from 1833, also date from the 19th century.

Next to the village church stands the stone Calvary complex. It consists of a central cross with Christ, as well as separately placed statues of the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist. The Marian column was erected next to the bell tower in 1678. After being damaged in a car accident in 1979, it was re-erected in front of the parish building in 1988.

Literature, village history and traditional customs

A memorial plaque in Smolinské commemorates the poet and literary critic Tichomír Milkin, whose civil name was Ján Donoval. He worked in Smolinské from 1902 to 1920. The surviving village structure also points to a long local development: around 15 Habanian farmsteads have been preserved to this day. In the 18th century, viticulture was an occupation of the population in Smolinské.

A religious tradition continues to shape the course of the year. At present, a procession takes place once a year on Corpus Christi, passing through the entire village from the Kostol Svätého Jakuba church to the Kaplnka Panny Márie Lurdskej chapel. The documented character of the locality is complemented by the Poľovnícky, športový a spoločenský areál PZ Smolinské. The complex is located in a wooded area on the northwestern edge of the village and has a recognized shooting range for the “PARCOUR” discipline. A programme of the Poľovnícke združenie Smolinské also announced the 19th edition of the “Poľovnícky Parcour” shooting competition. The Poľovnícke združenie also invited the public to a goulash-cooking competition.

More places for your trip to Slovakia: Šaštín-StrážeŠaštín-Stráže, PodbrancPodbranc, SekuleSekule, Lakšárska Nová VesLakšárska Nová Ves, JablonicaJablonica, Šajdíkove HumenceŠajdíkove Humence, SobotišteSobotište, Moravský Svätý JánMoravský Svätý Ján.

To the higher-level travel overview: Senica.