Trencin - Trencin castle - Pilgrimage site Skalka - Spa Piestany - Military Museum Piestany

Route: Bratislava - Trencin - Trencin castle - Pilgrimage site Skalka - Spa Piestany - Military Museum Piestany - Bratislava
Duration: 10 h
Firstly we will make a stop in the city Trenčín which is the town with rich history and interesting present characterized by close bonds with the neighbouring Moravia and Czechia. A unique authentic proof of the presence of Roman legions in the territory of Trenčín exists. The inscription on the steep face of the castle rock was carved in the memory of the victory over the Quads in 179 AD. The first written mention of the settlement situated below the bulky castle next to the old trade route is from 1111. The settlement fully developed again by the end of the 13th century when the Castle of Trenčín was acquired by the magnate Matúš Čák, who became practically the sovereign ruler of the whole territory of what is today Slovakia. He owned about 30 Slovak castles. Trenčín obtained various privileges and rights in the Middle Ages. King Sigismund promoted it to free royal borough in 1412 with similar rights as those, for instance, of Buda. Next we will visit to the Trenčín Castle – dominant feature of the city of Trenčín and the entire region of Považie. Since ancient times, the castle has guarded trade routes connecting the region of Northern Ugria and mining towns of Central Slovakia with Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Poland. History of the castle dates back to the 11th century, when it consisted of residential tower and rotunda, remains of which can be seen in the upper courtyard. The tallest Mathew´s Tower offers beautiful views of Považie. Barracks, oubliette, cannon bastion and the well of love can all be seen in the lower part of the castle. The barracks used to house garrison and were also used to store munition.  Today the barracks house an exposition of medieval and modern fire guns. Also in Trencin we will visit to the pilgrimage site on the territory of the parish of Skalka nad Váhom in the Nitra diocese. It is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in Slovakia and its history dates back to the 11th century. and are closely connected with the lives of St. hermits Andrej-Svorad and Beňadik, who lived in this place. There are two buildings - Malá Skalka, Diocesan Shrine of St. Andrej-Svorad and Beňadik and Veľká Skalka, the remains of a Benedictine abbey from 1224, in which the Beňadik Cave is also located. Next we will visit to the world famous spa town of Piestany is famous for the medicinal geothermal water and sulfuric mud with extraordinary therapeutic effects on inflammatory disorders. Settlement of the present spa town Pieštany and its surroundings goes well back to prehistoric times, which fact has been proven by archaeological finding of Venus from Moravany - a sculpture of a woman carved from mammoth tusk from the Early Stone Age. At present, it is the oldest exhibit in the Treasury in the Bratislava Castle. The first written reference to Piešťany (under the name Pescan) can be found in the Zobor Deed of Hungarian king Koloman I. from 1113. The greatest expansion of the spa started after 1889, when the "Alexander Winter and Sons" company changed the spa into a business of international importance and the town of Piešťany and the village of Teplice became a famous spa town. The oldest spa building is the Napoleon` Bath on the Spa Island. The island is connected to the pedestrian zone in the historic town centre through the Colonnade Bridge (known also under the title "Promenade Bridge") with the statue of a man breaking his crutch- a symbol of the spa from 1894 that is part of the town coat of arms nowadays. Also you can visit to the museum is a part of the Military Historical Institute and has its seat at the premises of a former military airport in Piešťany. The Exposition of Czechoslovak military techniques from the years 1945 to 1992 is the permanent exposition of the Military Museum Piešťany. On its vast area, it offers to visitors an opportunity to see more than a hundred items of heavy and light technology, aircrafts and helicopters. They are exposed in the open air and in three former hangars. After we return to Bratislava.
Price: per person