Holiday apartment in Lúka: Nature Reserves and Tematín Castle

The Tematínska lesostep National Nature Reserve is located in Lúka. It covers 59.67 ha and lies at an elevation of 280–475 m in Lúka, in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom District; it was designated in 1976. Situated between the municipality and Tematín Castle, the reserve protects remnants of thermophilous oak forests as well as extremely xerothermic rocky grasslands.

Nature and Landscape

The built-up area of Lúka lies in the foothills of the Považský Inovec mountain range, near the left bank of the Váh. The Tematínska lesostep National Nature Reserve is home to rare plants such as Onosma visianii, Dianthus praecox subsp. lumnitzeri, Jurinea mollis and Dictamnus albus.

Rare animal species in the reserve include Saga pedo, the European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) and the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), which has a large population there.

Kňaží vrch Nature Reserve covers 150.94 ha, lies at an elevation of 340–639 m and extends across Lúka, Modrová and Stará Lehota in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom District. It was designated in 1988. In the area between the summit of Kňažieho vrchu at an elevation of 639 m and the surrounding municipalities, Kňaží vrch Nature Reserve in the Považský Inovec preserves the best remaining examples of thermophilous oak forests with downy oak (Quercus pubescens).

Culture and History

Tematín Castle was one of the castles that secured Hungary’s western border in the Považí region. Because of its lines of sight to Čachtice Castle and Beckov Castle, Tematín also served as an important signal castle.

A viewing platform on the main tower of Tematín Castle offers views of the southern part of the Považský Inovec and the northern edge of the Danubian Lowland, stretching from Nové Mesto nad Váhom via Piešťany to Hlohovec.

The manor house in Lúka is a late Renaissance building dating from 1674. It was built based on the model of a fortified Renaissance manor house with four corner towers. The two-storey, elongated block has prominent corner towers and a Renaissance floor plan inside.

A Baroque chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene stands in the park of the Lúka manor house. The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows was consecrated on 16 September 2006.

Local Life

The municipality of Lúka organized the “Varenie Lúčanského gulášu” event together with a sports bar. Nine people took part, and the musical accompaniment was provided by the Kysucká heligonka group.

Routes and Transport

Hiking trail 2425 begins in the centre of Lúka. On its transport page, the municipality of Lúka also provided a timetable link for the Piešťany–Lúka–Beckov–Trenčín connection. The date displayed for this link is 22 March 2021.

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Other Places

For additional location pages, you can also visit Kostolné, Jablonka, Polianka, Miawa, Brestovec, Košariská, Rudník and Hrasne.

To the higher-level travel overview: Myjava.