Lúka – Nature, Castles and Hotels

The built-up area of Lúka lies in the foothills of the Považský Inovec, near the left bank of the Váh. Hiking trail 2425 begins in the centre of Lúka. Nature reserves, castles and historic buildings are located here in a landscape whose individual sites can be understood through specific dates and names.

Nature

The Tematínska lesostep National Nature Reserve covers 59.67 ha and lies at an elevation of 280–475 m in Lúka in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom District. It was designated in 1976 and lies between the municipality and Tematín Castle. The reserve protects remnants of thermophilous oak forests as well as extremely xerothermic rocky grasslands. Rare plants include Onosma visianii, Dianthus praecox subsp. lumnitzeri, Jurinea mollis and Dictamnus albus. Rare animal species include Saga pedo, the European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) and the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), which has a large population there.

The Kňaží vrch Nature Reserve covers 150.94 ha, lies at an elevation of 340–639 m and extends across Lúka, Modrová and Stará Lehota in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom District. It was designated in 1988. In the Považský Inovec, the reserve preserves the best-conserved remnants of thermophilous oak forests with downy oak (Quercus pubescens) in the area between the summit of Kňažieho vrchu at an elevation of 639 m and the surrounding municipalities.

History

Tematín Castle was one of the castles that secured Hungary’s western border in the Považí region. Due to its lines of sight to Čachtice Castle and Beckov Castle, Tematín also served as an important signal castle. A view from a platform near the main tower of Tematín Castle extends across the southern part of the Považský Inovec and the northern edge of the Danubian Lowland from Nové Mesto nad Váhom via Piešťany to Hlohovec.

Culture

The manor house of Lúka is a late Renaissance building dating from 1674, constructed after the model of a fortified Renaissance manor house with four corner towers. It is a two-storey, elongated block building with prominent corner towers and a Renaissance floor plan inside. A Baroque chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene stands in the park of the manor house of Lúka. The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows was consecrated on 16 September 2006.

The municipality of Lúka organised the event “Varenie Lúčanského gulášu” together with a sports bar, with nine participants and musical accompaniment by the Kysucká heligonka group.

On its transport page, the municipality of Lúka provided a timetable link for the Piešťany–Lúka–Beckov–Trenčín connection; the posting date is 22 March 2021.

Before booking

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To the higher-level travel overview: Myjava.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina.