Nitra between castle culture and Zobor nature

Nitra Castle and Zobor lead to two defining aspects of the city: significant cultural monuments and a landscape with an educational trail, nature reserve and viewpoint. In between are further testimonies to the city’s history, including a synagogue, a Romanesque church and an extensive city park.

Culture

Nitra Castle is a national cultural monument. Its Gothic moat is used as a summer amphitheatre. During the summer months, film screenings and concerts take place there in the open air. The Gothic moat is freely accessible to all visitors.

The Calvary in Nitra also combines religious architecture with a route: it comprises twelve Neo-Romanesque chapels depicting the Stations of the Cross, arranged along a path leading to the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre. In Dražovce stands the Church of St Michael the Archangel, an 11th-century Romanesque church that is one of the oldest sacred buildings in Slovakia.

The synagogue in Nitra is a free-standing building in the Moorish-Byzantine style and was completed in September 1911. Today, it primarily serves as a concert and exhibition hall. Another historical connection to Zobor is the Benedictine Monastery of St Hippolytus: it was founded on Zobor in the 9th century as the first monastery in what is now Slovakia. From the 11th to the 14th century, Zobor Monastery served as a religious, public-law and cultural centre.

Nature

Zobor brings together several specific landscape features. The Pyramída subpeak lies at an elevation of 553 m and offers panoramic views of Nitra and the surrounding area. In the forest around the summit of Zobor, the stone walls of a prehistoric settlement from the Late Bronze Age are still visible.

The Zoborské vrchy educational trail has 27 stations. The starting point of the basic circular route to the summit of Zobor and back is at the Zobor Healing Institute; this starting point can be reached by city bus lines 1, 9 and 25. The Zoborská lesostep National Nature Reserve is one of the stations on the Zoborské vrchy educational trail. Fourteen protected plant species occur in the Zoborská lesostep National Nature Reserve.

Another green side of the city is shown by Nitra City Park. It covers 20 ha and consists of three sections from different time periods.

Getting around Nitra

The Nitra Tourist Information Centre provides information about the city, city tours, advance ticket sales and souvenirs. For offers, included services, individual price components, and booking and cancellation conditions can be compared. This provides an objective basis for comparing different offers. Likewise, included services, individual price components, and booking and cancellation conditions can be compared directly before booking. These points provide the framework for a transparent comparison of the specifically listed hotel offers.

Other places

Other linked places: Dolné Lefantovce, Veľký Cetín, Vráble, Ľudovítová, Nová Ves Nad Žitavou, Ivanka Pri Nitre, Žirany, Veľká Dolina.

To the overarching travel overview: Nitra.