Zavar: Hotels Among Churches, History and Regional Culture

Zavar can be experienced through its ecclesiastical architecture, early settlement traces, crafts, music, local events and cuisine. These historical and cultural details are complemented by its location on the edge of the Trnava Loess Plateau and in the river valley of the Blava and Dudváh.

Location and Landscape

Zavar lies 8 kilometres southeast of Trnava at an elevation of 127 metres above sea level. The village is situated on the eastern edge of the Trnava Loess Plateau. The eastern part of the Zavar municipal area contains the shared floodplain of the Blava and Dudváh rivers. Thus, both the plateau and the floodplain shaped by the two rivers form part of the geographical setting of the municipal area.

History and Architectural Heritage

The first written mention of Zavar dates from 1255, when the place was referred to as de Zovvor. Archaeological finds document settlement in Zavar during the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age.

An important building is the Neo-Gothic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1907 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. The interior features ribbed stucco vaults with Gothic-style profiling; the present stained-glass windows date from approximately 1955. The church tower is 32.40 metres high and contains three bells.

The architectural heritage also includes the Kaštieľ manor house in Zavar, built in the Classicist style at the beginning of the 19th century. On 31 October 2010, a bronze statue of Saint Barbara was unveiled at the local cemetery in Zavar. A commemorative plaque for the parish administrators of Zavar was unveiled on 7 September 2008; the ceremony began with a festive Mass in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Crafts and Music

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Zavar had a workshop and a school producing embroidery and lace for the Izabella association. Women in Zavar were still embroidering in the first third of the 20th century to supplement their income. In this way, the local history of handicrafts is connected with the economic role of embroidery.

The history of music is also linked to the village. Gejza Dusík, who came from Zavar, was a pioneer and a leading figure of the founding generation of Slovak composers of popular music. The Zavarský Chamber Choir was founded in 1996 and represented Zavar in the churches of Trnava. In the 1960s, the Zavarský Chamber Choir performed Slovak folk songs in Zavar and the surrounding area.

Events and Flavours

The Zavarská desiatka is documented in Zavar for 2023 and 2024. At the Slivkové hody held in Zavar on 28 September 2008, visitors were offered plum dumplings, Šúľance, Báleše and other plum specialities to sample. At the Country hody in Zavar, children could ride horses and a camel, use a bouncy castle and admire vintage cars.

At an expert wine tasting in Zavar, three five-member committees assessed the quality and appearance of 102 Zavarský wine samples. Thus, the events combine regional food and wine with music, historic vehicles and activities for children.

When comparing suitable hotel offers, you can check the exact location, type of accommodation, occupancy, included services, price components, and booking and cancellation conditions on the respective offer pages. The applicable details depend on the individual offer.

Other Places

Other places: Jaslovské Bohunice, Šelpice, Malženice, Horné Dubové, Lošonec, Horné Orešany, Košolná, Trnava.

To the higher-level travel overview: Trnava.