Mužla: Landscape, Wine and History

Mužla brings together the landscape of the Danube Lowland with protected natural areas, a long wine-growing tradition and evidence of regional history. The town lies on the southern edge of the Hron Tableland. If you choose a destination based on its landscape and cultural themes, these different highlights can help guide you.

Landscape and Natural Areas

The Danube borders Mužla to the south; the Belianske kopce hills lie to the north. Nearby, west of the town, is Jurský Chlm, a protected natural area within Mužla’s cadastral area. Its loess and sand walls provide nesting sites for bee-eaters. This makes a specific habitat the focus here, while Mužla’s other protected areas showcase different landscape features.

The protected natural areas within the cadastral area also include Čenkovská step and Čenkovská lesostep. Both national nature reserves are part of the Čenkov protected area. Čenkovská lesostep has gently undulating terrain; its sand dunes reach a relative height of two to three metres. It is also home to Slovakia’s only occurrence of the priority habitat “Pannonian poplar forests with juniper.” Mužla’s natural features can therefore be distinguished more precisely: at Jurský Chlm, the nesting sites on loess and sand walls are a defining feature, while Čenkov is known for its protected steppe landscapes and distinctive habitat.

A cycle route is also linked to the landscape: a section of EuroVelo 6 runs beneath Mužla’s vineyard. Wine-growing is therefore both part of the local tradition and a prominent feature along the route.

Wine-Growing and Local Traditions

Wine-growing in Mužla has a tradition dating back around 400 years. At the traditional wine harvest festival, “Rychtár” and “Rychtárová” appear each year at the end of August wearing Mužla’s traditional costume. The 25th wine harvest festival took place on 31 August 2024. The local wine competition with tasting has been held since 1988; the 34th competition took place in March 2023. These dates refer to past editions and do not automatically indicate when a future event will take place. Check the date of the edition you plan to attend.

The Mužlianska vínna túra also has a specific historical reference: at its seventh edition on 24 May 2025, more than 15 local winemakers opened their cellars for tastings. These are distinct from the Vino Mužla tastings, which are generally arranged by personal appointment. Tasting packages are available with four, six or eight wines, accompanied by pastries, cheese or a cold platter. These different formats can be useful when planning a trip: a recurring festival, a dated wine tour and an arranged tasting are different occasions.

Church, Bell Tower and Archaeological History

The neoclassical Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary offers a glimpse into the town’s architectural history. Construction began in the early 18th century; the church was completed in 1817. After a fire in 1862, it was restored. These three dates mark different stages in its history: the start of construction, its completion and its later restoration.

A preserved bell tower stands in Mužla’s cemetery, the remains of the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1738. The municipality had the tower reconstructed in 2016. The Via Crucis – Via Lucis Stations of the Cross presents a different form of religious imagery: each of its 14 stations depicts scenes from the Way of the Cross on one side and scenes from the Way of the Resurrection on the other. This double-sided design thus brings two sequences of images together along a single route.

The Mužla-Čenkov archaeological site adds a long history of settlement to these more recent traces of the past. The periods evidenced range from the culture of the Late Linear Pottery period through the Želiezovce Group, the Baden culture and the Kosihy-Čaka Group to Bronze Age and other prehistoric cultures, the La Tène period and the Early Middle Ages, from the 9th to the 12th century. On the left bank of the Danube there is also an Early Medieval settlement enclosed by a rampart. Mužla’s history therefore encompasses different periods, from archaeological settlement remains to buildings and traditions from the more recent history of the town.

Discover more destinations: Ľubá, Bíňa, Travnica, Nána, Sikenička, Lipová, Michal Nad Žitavou, Jatov.

For the broader travel overview: Nové Zámky.