Holiday apartment in Dulov – Culture and nature in the Váh region

Dulov is located in the Váh region of Považie, in the Ilava Basin on the right bank of the Váh. The village combines a clearly identifiable river landscape with traces of its history, ecclesiastical architecture and lively festival traditions. The nearby and wider surroundings are also part of the character of this Slovak village.

Geographical setting

The Tovarský stream, also known as the Tuchynská rieka, flows around Dulov from the west. The Váh, the longest river in Slovakia, forms a small boundary along the area of Dulov. Small rocky cliffs made of Mesozoic rocks lie in the northwestern hilly area. Also in the northwest, part of the cadastral area of Dulov extends into the Biele Karpaty Protected Landscape Area.

Nature

The landscape also includes the Sigôtka ponds. These bodies of water were created through gravel extraction on land belonging to the Urbár community for the construction of a motorway. The ponds also form an area for sport fishing, managed according to local fishing regulations.

Deer and wild boars live in the forests of Dulov, and in recent years mouflon have also been present. Ostrá Hora is a mountain in the vicinity of Dulov. In the wider regional surroundings are the mountains Bulkov, Stupici and Chmelova.

Culture

Historically, Dulov was a typical village of the lower nobility, owned by several noble families. One of the village’s prominent buildings is the Church of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. It was consecrated on 23 September 2000 and has a 17-metre-high tower. Its stained-glass windows depict the Stations of the Cross.

Another bell tower stands in the Nová Ves district of Dulov. It was built in 1922 and originally had an Art Nouveau façade. The newer bell tower in Dulov was built in 1941–1942 as a masonry, prismatic structure of a similar type. Svätá Helena is a church in the wider regional surroundings of Dulov.

Festivals and events

Dulov developed the tradition of two festivals: the church feast in honour of the Church of the Seven Sorrows of Mary and the festival centred around the cross on Gálovica. This cross was blessed on 14 September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The church feast is associated with harvest thanksgiving celebrations.

The Dulovské dožinkové slávnosti celebrate the successful completion of the harvest and serve to preserve Slovak traditions. Their programme is intended for all age groups and includes performances by cultural ensembles. The Beh okolo Dulova race is also part of the local event history: it is one of the oldest running competitions in Slovakia, with a history dating back to 1971. The race follows an unchanged route through the streets of Dulov and along the adjoining road II/507.

Other places

For further exploration, the pages for Borčice, Pruské, Sedmerovec, Nová Dubnica, Bolešov and Dubnica Nad Váhom are available.

For the higher-level travel overview: Ilava.