Discover Horné Strháre: Churches, Fossils and Hotels

Horné Strháre is home to the Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a single-nave Baroque-Classical building dating from the late 18th century. It was rebuilt in 1879. Inside, a Baroque painting of the Madonna from the first half of the 18th century has been preserved. The church is in good condition and continues to serve its religious purpose.

Culture

Another church in the village is the Evangelical church. It is a simple single-nave building from 1791. It was extended between 1862 and 1865; a tower crowned with a pyramidal roof was built during this period. The Evangelical church also houses the altarpiece “Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane” by Ľudovít Ľ. Kubányi. In addition to preserving its architectural form, the building therefore also preserves a named work from its furnishings.

The distinctive architectural details of Horné Strháre also include the attic boards of house no. 134. They are decorated with painted tulips and an S-shaped frieze. This detail complements the religious buildings with an example of local design on a residential house.

Village Life

The historical occupations of the inhabitants of Horné Strháre included fruit growing, viticulture and beekeeping. Traditional local crafts included making products from straw and willow rods. Both areas point to activities that, beyond the religious buildings, form part of the village’s traditional life.

The contemporary cultural life also has its own name: the local women’s folk group “Strháranka” plays an important role in the cultural life of Horné Strháre.

Nature

Horné Strháre lies in the erosion valley of the Stará rieka, also known as the Leštinský potok. The steep slopes of the valleys and the small gorges around Horné Strháre are covered with stands of acacia and oak. The landscape therefore includes both the valley and the wooded slopes and smaller gorges.

A sand pit located about 1 km west of Horné Strháre is a paleontological site. Horné Strháre is one of the known geological and paleontological sites that have yielded a rich fossil fauna and flora in the past. Shark teeth predominated among the fossils at the paleontological sites of Horné Strháre.

The paleontological connection is also present at the municipal office: visitors can find a local exhibition there, and a collection of fossil shark teeth can be viewed at the municipal office.

Routes

The hiking route from Veľký Krtíš to Horné Strháre is marked with a red tourist trail marker. In addition, the 28 km-long route 0814, managed by the KST, passes through Horné Strháre. The area around Horné Strháre offers opportunities for hiking. This documents both the connection from Veľký Krtíš to Horné Strháre and route 0814 managed by the KST, which passes through Horné Strháre.

Other destinations: Obeckov, Lesenice, Modrý Kameň, Stredné Plachtince, Širákov, Ďurkovce, Muľa, Kiarov.

To the higher-level travel overview: Veľký Krtíš District.