Karpfen: Holiday apartment between a natural monument and urban history

Karpfen can be explored through nature, cultural history and routes with different thematic focuses. In and around Krupina, rock formations, historic buildings, exhibitions and educational trails stand alongside one another. Here, landscape, literary memory and built heritage come together at clearly distinguishable points of interest.

Nature

One striking landscape formation is Štangarígeľ, also known as Krupinské bralce. The area was designated a national natural monument in 1975 and covers 0.69 hectares. It is characterized by regular pentagonal andesite columns, some of which reach heights of up to 6 metres. The Žibritov educational trail also leads to this rocky landscape. Its starting point is in the municipality of Žibritov, near the former parish. From there, it runs through the valley of the Bebrava stream to the imposing Štangarígeľ – Krupinské bralce rocks.

Culture and history

The permanent exhibition at the Andrej Sládkovič Museum covers the history of Krupina and literary figures. Particular emphasis is placed on the life and work of Andrej Sládkovič and Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová. The museum offers guided tours of the museum, the cellars, and the permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum’s cellar spaces, known as the Krupina underground vaults, have been open during selected events since 2010. Following certain structural modifications, they can be visited as part of a guided tour of the museum exhibition.

The city walls of Krupina are also part of the city’s history. They were built between 1551 and 1564 from tuff quarried in the city’s cadastral area. The Turkish Bastion has been used as a municipal amphitheatre since the 1970s and is now called “Amfiteáter Viliama Polónyiho”. Another significant architectural building is the Halmay House, erected in 1906 for the senior district official.

The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Krupina contains a late Gothic winged altar of the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles. The altar’s sculptures date from 1515 to 1520 and come from the workshop of Master MS of Banská Štiavnica.

Things to do

Vartovka is a watchtower first mentioned in 1564 and the oldest surviving observation tower in Slovakia. The tower was built of stone with a wooden gallery, reaching a height of approximately 13 metres. Vartovka is freely accessible and can be reached from the centre of Krupina via an approximately one-hour walk along a blue-marked route.

The routes connected with the literary heritage are also precisely described. The “Po stopách v rodisku Andreja Sládkoviča” walking tour leads to 16 places of interest in Krupina that are closely associated with the life of this Slovak poet. After completing the tour at Malý rínok, visitors can continue along the educational trail to Vartovka. The “Po stopách Sládkoviča” educational trail also passes historic monuments connected with the life of Andrej Sládkovič, as well as natural attractions in the city of Krupina.

Also pay attention to the included services listed, individual price components, and the booking and cancellation conditions. These points can be compared independently of which places you wish to focus on. Anyone considering a holiday house instead of a holiday apartment can use the same criteria and then compare the offers at their leisure. This keeps the accommodation decision focused on the specific conditions of the respective offer.

Further destinations:Lackov, Trpín, Cerovo, Sudince, Domaníky, Dudince, Hontianske Nemce, Kozí Vrbovok.

To the overarching travel overview: Krupina District.