Vozokany: Cycling Route, Church and Local Monuments

Vozokany combines an easy cycling route along the Čierna Voda with a series of religious buildings, roadside statues and local monuments. This makes the village a destination for travellers who do not wish to view nature and village history in Slovakia as separate experiences. The first written mention of Vozokany dates from 1297.

Cycling along the Čierna Voda

Route 5221 – Stará Čierna Voda – Tomášikovo – Jahodná is 12.3 kilometres long, marked in green and designated as an easy recreational MTB route. Its surface alternates between asphalt, paved paths, and field and forest tracks. The route description therefore already shows that the experience involves not just a single road, but a variety of different surfaces. The route reaches Vozokany at the first footbridge over the Čierna Voda and then continues along the edge of the village towards Tomášikovo and Jahodná.

The watercourse itself is also part of the village landscape: the Stará Čierna Voda branches off below Čierna Voda and flows through Vozokany. The river and the bridge are therefore both important reference points for finding your way around the area. A roadside statue of Saint John of Nepomuk also stands by the bridge.

The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary

The defining religious building is the Baroque Roman Catholic Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1718 as a larger chapel. In 1778, a southern side nave and a masonry tower were added; the tower replaced the original wooden tower. The church has a main nave and a side nave, both with cross vaults. The side nave, added in 1923, has its own entrance and is known by local residents as the “small church”.

Two bronze bells from 1922 and 1925 hang in the tower. The smaller bell bears a relief of the Virgin Mary. An organ positive was installed in the choir gallery in 1888. The church is in good condition and continues to serve its religious purpose. The crypt beneath the building erected in 1718 is not accessible today. It contains three burials, including that of Captain György Ritter from Vozokany, who died in 1732.

The Roman Catholic Chapel of Saint John of Nepomuk stands in the local cemetery. It was built in 1925 as a memorial to the victims of the First World War. A statue of Saint Florian stands in the park in front of the church, while a roadside statue of Saint Vendelín stands at the edge of the village towards Tomášikovo.

Crosses, Memorials and Local History

Several smaller monuments complement a tour of Vozokany. The statue of the Holy Family was erected in 1908 by Nagy Ferencz and Nagy Anna. The Nagykereszt, or Great Cross, was created in 1909 by Tönköly Dávid and Klimek Anna; a statue of the Virgin Mary stands on its pedestal. Beside the Catholic church is the preserved Kopjafa, a local monument. It was erected in 2014 under the direction of woodcarver Tibor Szatmár.

The Család Tábor életfája is also associated with Tibor Szatmár. This tree of life was carved in 2013 by participants in a family camp under his direction. The monument to those who fell in the First and Second World Wars commemorates the local heroes who died in both wars. Together with the religious buildings, these memorials tell not only of individual years, but also of different forms of public remembrance in the village.

Festivals and Culinary Connections

Hody celebrations take place in Vozokany on the feast day of the church’s patron saint. In addition, the sixth and seventh Retro-Gastro Festivals were held on the sports field and football pitch, respectively. Culinary highlights include a menu of international specialities as well as Slovak dishes served with a glass of wine.

Other destinations in the area include Gallandau, Zemianske Sady, Pusté Úľany, Sládkovičovo, Veľké Úľany, Tomášikovo, Šalgočka and Šintava.

For the broader travel overview: Galanta.