Litava: Church Art, Festival and Horse Riding

Litava combines sacred architectural history, local cultural landmarks and a festival tradition held regularly since 2013. If you are looking for a hotel in Litava, it helps to decide what brings you here: is your main interest the history of the church, other sacred landmarks or the Litavský klobásový festival? These topics also differ in time. The church brings together phases of construction and furnishing from its Romanesque foundations to its late Baroque altarpiece, while the 11th edition of the festival took place in 2025. This lets you consider cultural history and the festival as separate focal points when planning your trip.

Church: Architectural History and Furnishings

The Roman Catholic church in Litava is dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch. Part of the building stands on the foundations of a Romanesque chapel; the Gothic section was built on these foundations between 1320 and 1340. This means the Romanesque foundations and Gothic construction belong to two successive building phases of the same church. The furnishings also span different periods: the stone baptismal font dates from the 14th century and has a Baroque wooden cover from the 18th century. The late Baroque altarpiece of Saint Margaret is an oil painting on canvas from the end of the 18th century. The dedication and altarpiece refer to the same saint; with its stone basin and later wooden cover, the baptismal font adds a different historical note.

Other Sacred Cultural Landmarks

Litava’s sacred cultural landmarks extend beyond the church. The Calvary ensemble in Litava was built in 1807 in the folk Baroque style. A stone statue of Saint John of Nepomuk stands in the center of Litava. Wooden crosses stand at Skalica and in the cemetery in Litava. Dating from 1807, the ensemble is considerably later than the church’s Gothic section, built between 1320 and 1340. Gothic and folk Baroque forms therefore stand side by side as distinct historical layers.

Festival and Trip Planning

The Litavský klobásový festival has been held regularly since 2013; its 11th edition took place in 2025. At the 2025 edition, visitors could try lamb, game and pork goulash as well as grilled sausage, so the food on offer went beyond the sausage named in the festival’s title. Traditional and unconventional handicrafts, spices, toys and sweets were also available at the 2025 edition. If the festival is important to your trip, check the dates for your chosen travel year.

Landscape and Horse-Riding Activities

Within the Krupinská planina, Litava’s cadastral area belongs to the low mountain ranges. Ranč u Ňuňa offers horseback rides in the surrounding countryside. The riding activities are available to both overnight guests and visitors who are not staying overnight. For trip planning, this means a ride can be a separate activity even if you are not staying with the provider. The mountain-range classification refers to Litava’s cadastral area, whereas the riding activities offered by Ranč u Ňuňa describe a specific activity.

Discover more destinations: Cerovo, Sudince, Drážovce, Selce, Dudince, Ladzany, Zemiansky Vrbovok, Horný Badín

For the broader travel overview: Krupina District.