Holiday apartment in Veľké Pole between Tríbeč and Vtáčnik

Veľké Pole lies at the transition between the Tríbeč and Vtáčnik mountain ranges, combining a distinctive landscape with historic traces in the village. The Ponitrianska magistrála runs through Veľké Pole and leads over 34.1 kilometres from Veľké Pole to Handlová. The hiking route is marked in red. From the municipal office, the summit of Vtáčnik can be reached via a red-marked hiking trail in approximately four hours.

Nature and trails

The cadastral territory of Veľké Pole lies within the Ponitrie Protected Landscape Area. The protected limestone cave Veľkopolská jaskyňa is also located in the same cadastral territory, as is the Sokolec a Skala nature reserve. The area therefore brings together various protected landscape forms, while the red-marked Ponitrianska magistrála provides a clearly designated route through the village and onwards to Handlová. The approximate walking time to the Vtáčnik summit from the municipal office complements this network of paths with a longer mountain route.

History and culture

The history of Veľké Pole dates back to the Middle Ages: in 1395, the Pauline order from Lefantovce founded a monastery here. The Roman Catholic church was built around 1511 in the Late Gothic style. A chapel built in 1792 stands in front of the church. It commemorates a severe hailstorm that destroyed the entire village.

Further memorial sites are scattered throughout the village. In the centre of Veľké Pole, near the municipal office, stands the monument “Pomník padlým vojakom”, commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First World War. The plague column “Morový stĺp” is located by the cultural centre. It was erected in 1787 as a sign that the plague had broken out in the municipality. The local cemetery next to the funeral home contains an oak-wood belfry; the bell inside it was cast in 2006.

The mining tradition of Veľké Pole is also part of its historical heritage; silver and lead were mined here. Together with 13 other municipalities, Veľké Pole also forms part of one of the few surviving historic landscape complexes in Slovakia: a scattered, dispersed or štál-type settlement area. This settlement pattern represents a distinct part of the local history alongside its ecclesiastical, memorial and mining heritage.

Cycling route to Vtáčnik

Veľké Pole is also connected by a designated route for mountain biking. The blue-marked cycling route 2317 “Penhýbel–Vtáčnik” begins in Veľké Pole and ends at the summit of the Vtáčnik mountain range. The route is 15.2 kilometres long and classified as an EXPERT MTB route. Its start in Veľké Pole and destination at Vtáčnik give the route a clearly defined direction and an unambiguous course.

Further places: Žarnovica, Rudno Nad Hronom, Nová Baňa, Župkov, Ostrý Grúň, Horné Hámre, Hronský Beňadik, Hrabičov.

To the main travel overview: Scharnowitz.