Želiezovce amid parks and culture along the Hron

Želiezovce combines its location on the Hron with a remarkably rich cultural and historical heritage. Between protected parks, sacred art, museum collections and traces of bygone eras, the town presents a distinctive character that can be explored through several thematic facets.

Location and history

Želiezovce lies in the Danubian Lowland on the right bank of the Hron. The first written mention dates from 1274. At that time, the place appears under the name Selyz; a settlement with a church, a mill and a stone bridge is mentioned. This early reference connects the present-day town with a long settlement history, without allowing any further historical developments to be inferred from it.

Culture

In the centre of Želiezovce stands the originally Gothic Church of St James, which preserves Gothic wall paintings dating from around 1430. Its altar base consists of a Roman sarcophagus from the 2nd century. The Esterházy mansion provides a different architectural accent: it was originally Baroque and was later remodelled in the Classicist style.

The town museum and the Franz Schubert memorial room are located in Sovom zámočku. The town museum’s archaeological exhibition covers the Želiezovská culture and periods ranging from the Stone Age through the Bronze, Iron and Roman Ages to the Migration Period. A room on the upper floor is dedicated to the life and work of composer Franz Schubert and furnished with period furniture.

The history of the Sacher torte is also connected with Želiezovce. Count Ján Karol Esterházy brought Franz Sacher to Želiezovce as his personal chef; he is regarded there as the inventor of the world-famous Sacher torte.

Nature

The Čereš pheasantry is located in Želiezovce and covers 2,136 hectares. Riparian forests are characteristic along the Hron in the area around Želiezovce. Thus, alongside the historic buildings, larger landscapes and proximity to the river also emerge as distinct elements of the townscape.

F.-Schubert Park is a 13-hectare protected area in the centre of Želiezovce. It is home to a 25-metre-high protected pond cypress (Taxodium distichum), whose age is estimated at 200 years. Želiezovský Park is also a protected historic park area in Želiezovce. F.-Schubert Park is open to the public at all times.

Festival and the Hron

The National Folk Art Festival was founded in 1970 and added to the list of CIOFF World Festivals in 2018. A nationwide folk art festival is held annually in F.-Schubert Park. In this way, the park and the event share a common cultural setting, while the two statements retain their respective temporal and substantive references.

On the Hron, the section from Jur nad Hronom to Želiezovce can be completed, if desired continuing as far as the Danube. The route described connects the starting point of Jur nad Hronom with Želiezovce and names the Danube as a possible continuation.

Hotel comparison

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Other destinations that you can access directly for your selection: Krškany, Iňa, Hrkovce, Sikenica, Jesenské, Devičany, Ipeľský Sokolec, Kozárovce.

To the higher-level travel overview: Levice.