Pusté Úľany: Hotels amid ponds, floodplains and Baroque culture

Pusté Úľany is characterised by a diverse water system, floodplains, and sacred and historic buildings. Six ponds, three streams and three irrigation canals form part of the local water system. To the south, the Čierna voda forms the boundary of the cadastral area. Along the river are old meanders, or oxbow lakes, as well as riparian vegetation, wetlands, meadows, and stands of willows and poplars.

Nature

The natural area includes the Úľanské rybníky area and the floodplains. As part of Natura 2000, it has been designated a bird protection area of supraregional, pan-European importance. The area is home to critically endangered plants, plants threatened with extinction, and other highly endangered species. The birdlife is also associated with specific breeding populations: more than 1 % of the national populations of Ixobrychus minutus, Galerida cristana, Coturnix coturnic, Falco vespertinus, Falco cherrug and Milvus migrans regularly breed here.

Water and floodplains

Fishing is possible on several streams and ponds in the vicinity of Pusté Úľany. During the winter months, the local ponds also serve as natural ice-skating rinks, while the local bodies of water offer opportunities for swimming in nature. The riparian forests are suitable for hiking, the surrounding area for cycling, and the local floodplain landscape for birdwatching.

Culture

The historic villagescape includes the Baroque roadside statues of Saint John of Nepomuk and Saint Florian. They were commissioned in 1734 by Gašpar Farkaš and his wife, Magda Baloghová. Near the centre stands the Kaštieľ, with a seven-bay main façade and a three-bay, raised risalit. At the upper end of the village is a column with a group of figures depicting the Holy Trinity; it was probably erected in 1903 by the Marcell family.

In the park in front of the Roman Catholic church stands a memorial to those who fell in the First World War. It was erected in 1941 and incorporates a fragment of an old Baroque column. The Church of Saint Ladislaus has a single-manual organ with eight stops and a pedal, dating from 1898. The Baroque Chapel of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, built in 1742, is also part of the sacred heritage. Its vaults are decorated with a Baroque depiction of an open sky and two floating angels.

The Lutheran church was originally a Renaissance church, was mentioned as an artikular church in 1660, and was rebuilt in the Classicist style after a fire in 1820. The Neo-Gothic Chapel of Saint Joseph was built in 1866 and contains a polychrome statue of Saint Joseph.

Location in the village

The Church of Saint Ladislaus stands near the centre of Pusté Úľany, west of the road to Pavlice on Pavlická ulica. The Lutheran church is located in the southwest of Pusté Úľany on the so-called Luther Hill.

Other places: Zemianske Sady, Šintava, Veľký Grob, Vozokany, Sereď, Matúškovo, Košúty, Gallandau.

For the higher-level travel overview: Galanta.