Šimonovce: Village Green, Toleration Church and Historic Houses

Šimonovce combines its location in the Rimava floodplain with a distinctive historic village layout. For travelers planning a stay, the landscape of the municipality, the village green and the variety of building styles are defining features. They range from the Reformed Toleration Church to residential houses and a Classicist manor house.

Location and landscape

Šimonovce lies in the southern part of the Rimavská kotlina basin, in the Rimava floodplain. The municipality is unforested and encompasses both flat and hilly terrain. Pronounced terraces are also part of its topography. Tertiary marls, claystones and sandstones are covered by river deposits and loess loams. The description of the village thus brings together its location in the basin and along the Rimava with a variety of terrain. The municipality cannot therefore be described as flat alone: hills and terraces are also part of its landscape.

Church and historic preservation zone

The Reformed Toleration Church was built in 1790 on older foundations and is the oldest monument in Šimonovce. These two details refer to different periods: 1790 is the year it was built, while the foundations are older. Those interested in architectural history can distinguish the construction date from the earlier foundations in this example.

Separately, the historic preservation zone of Šimonovce was designated in 1996. Its almost intact linear development is grouped around a broad, elongated rectangular village green, through which a road runs. The church and the historic preservation zone thus represent two different scales of the village’s history: the history of a single religious building and the spatial layout of the village.

Residential houses and other building styles

The buildings lining the street in the historic preservation zone mostly date from the 19th century. The houses have three or more rooms and are built of adobe blocks and bricks, then plastered and limewashed. They are grouped around the widened street. The residential architecture of the village is shaped both by the individual houses and by their arrangement and the materials used.

The vernacular house at Šimonovce 109 is a brick house dating from 1863. The vernacular house and its grounds were declared a national cultural monument in 1963. The dates refer to different events: 1863 is the year the house was built, and 1963 the year it was declared a national cultural monument.

The Classicist manor house is a different type of building. It was built in the first half of the 19th century and is a single-storey structure with a rectangular floor plan. An original columned loggia is located on the courtyard side. The manor house therefore draws attention to the structure itself and its courtyard side, while the residential houses are characterized above all by their alignment along the street. The manor house is considered to be in poor condition; one of its façades has been modernized and substantially altered. As a building’s condition can change, it is advisable to obtain up-to-date information before planning a visit.

Exploring Šimonovce by bicycle

The cycling route from Rimavská Sobota via Jesenské and Šimonovce to the Hostice Reservoir follows paved roads and is suitable for various types of bicycles. The named route and road surface give cyclists specific information to help with their planning. If you plan to use the route, check its current status before setting out.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Klenovec, Chrámec, Hostice, Babinec, Žíp, Štrkovec, Padarovce, Rimavské Zalužany

For the overarching travel guide: Okres Rimavská Sobota.