Selec between a natural monument and the Inovec landscape

The Selecké kamenné more in Selec combines a distinctive landform with clearly designated protected status. The natural monument was designated in 1985, covers 4.83 hectares and is subject to the highest, fifth level of protection. The site is considered unique, particularly from a geological perspective. The Selecké kamenné more is a quartzite block field west of the main summit of the Považský Inovec. Among the blocks are open stands of dying oak trees; heather and bilberries grow in the undergrowth.

Nature

Selec lies in a mountain basin at the end of the valley of the Selecký potok. The main and secondary ridges of the Považský Inovec mountain range surround the village, which lies at an elevation of 319 metres above sea level. The natural area also includes the Selecký potok natural monument, designated in 1984. It covers 4.52 hectares, lies at an elevation of 232 to 332 metres and extends across Selec and Veľké Stankovce. Preserved riparian vegetation is present in the upper section of the foothill stream.

On the western slopes of the highest summit of the Považský Inovec, the Považský Inovec nature reserve contains beech stands more than one hundred years old. These beech stands provide a habitat for rare and protected animal species. Around Selec are the protected block field, the stream with preserved riparian structures and the beech stands more than one hundred years old.

Culture and history

The Church of Saint Bartholomew in Selec is a late Gothic building dating from 1504. Inside is a single-manual organ with seven stops. Martin Šaško from Brezová pod Bradlom built it together with his son Ján in 1882–1883; it was his last organ. A stone statue of Saint John of Nepomuk also stands near the church. The statue and its pedestal were erected in 1798. The present statue is a replica from the late 18th century, while the original pedestal has been preserved and restored.

Opposite the church, the Monument to Those Persecuted during the Slovak National Uprising commemorates the inhabitants of Selec who were deported to concentration camps by the Nazis in November 1944. Forty-three of them never returned. The memorial consists of a sculpture of a dying person and a plaque bearing the names of the victims. It was ceremonially unveiled in 1969 on the 25th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising and is registered in the Central List of Monuments of the Slovak Republic under number 2 426/0.

Another historic building is the Neoclassical Protestant Zvonica bell tower from the late 18th century. Since 2011, it has been a national cultural monument. The Zvonica houses a unique bell from 1900, originating from the bell foundry in Šoporňa. Local history also includes the production of wooden objects by the inhabitants; the spoon makers of Selec were well known. Traditional customs are still observed in Selec on public holidays. This makes the village one of the few communities in Slovakia where such customs have been preserved.

Routes

An 8-kilometre asphalt cycle route runs through the Selecká Valley from Trenčianske Stankovce to the upper end of Selec near a spring. At the end of the village, a road that also serves as a cycle route leads to a forester's lodge. The first information board of the Inovec educational trail stands there; it provides information about a forest railway that no longer exists.

The Selecké kamenné more is also locally known as Sokolova skala. It lies near a rare archaeological site whose significance is also connected with the nearby hillfort. Route 11 Mníchova Lehota–Inovec–Palúch–Selec also ends in Selec. From there, you can continue by taking the appropriate bus.

Also pay attention to which services are included, which price components are listed separately and the booking or cancellation conditions under which the offer is valid. A budget-conscious comparison is clearer when these points are considered side by side before booking.

More pages about nearby places: Soblahov, Trencin, Trenčianske Stankovce, Horné Srnie, Trenčianska Teplá, Omšenie, Chocholná-Velčice, Veľké Bierovce.

To the higher-level travel overview: Trenčín District.