Nová Bošáca: Veľký Lopeník, protected nature and regional culture

The highest point in the municipality of Nová Bošáca is Mount Veľký Lopeník, at 912 metres. The municipality lies within the Biele Karpaty Protected Landscape Area; at the same time, scattered settlements on the slopes of the Bošácka Valley shape the character of the area.

Settlement pattern and protected nature

Nová Bošáca is a Kopanitsa municipality near the border. On the Moravian side, it borders Březová, Lopeník and Vyškovec. Its settlements are spread across the slopes of the Bošácka Valley, giving the municipality a widely dispersed settlement pattern.

The natural monuments also showcase a variety of landscapes and plant life. Bestinné protects grassland communities with several endangered plant species. Blažejová protects a valuable meadow community with rare and endangered plants, spring fens, and adjacent orchid and hay meadows. Both natural monuments are subject to the fourth level of protection.

Grúň protects valuable meadow, forest and pasture communities with a rich abundance of orchids. Lopeníček is one of the richest sites for the endangered green-winged orchid (Orchis morio). These two natural monuments are also subject to the fourth level of protection. Mravcové protects a valuable spring travertine refuge for orchid species and invertebrates; the fourth level of protection applies there too.

Hike to the observation tower or cycle to the border

The Veľký Lopeník observation tower can be reached from Nová Bošáca via a five-kilometre blue-marked route. Check access before your trip. Another option for planning your outings is the 58-kilometre “Novohorská” cycling route, which runs via Nová Bošáca–Šiance to the border with the Czech Republic. The two routes therefore differ both in mode of travel and length: one leads on foot to the observation tower, while the other is a cycling route to the border.

Church and memorial in Nová Bošáca

The memorial in the Grúň settlement comprises a statue and a mass grave of fallen Soviet soldiers. It was unveiled in 1945 and is now a national cultural monument. In Nová Bošáca, the Roman Catholic branch church of Saints Cyril and Methodius was built between 1969 and 1971 and consecrated on 14 September 1971. It serves as a spiritual centre for the faithful of the municipality and surrounding area and houses works of art-historical value by national artist Vincent Hložník.

Traditions of the Bošácka Valley

The traditional culture of the Bošácka Valley has been preserved particularly in oral folklore, family and seasonal customs, cuisine and traditional dress. Festive women’s clothing in the Sellácky tradition consists of four basic parts: “rubáč”, “rukávce”, “okolek” as the back apron, and “záscere” as the front apron. Festive men’s clothing in the Sellácky tradition of the Bošácka Valley includes a shirt, “gate” or “gace”, trousers, a waistcoat called “prucel”, and a hat called “brúsek”.

The production of the renowned Bošácka slivovica also continues as a tradition in Nová Bošáca to this day. The area’s culture therefore extends beyond buildings and monuments to clothing, customs and regional cuisine.

Tailor your hotel stay to your plans

There are several options to consider when planning your trip: a route to the observation tower, a longer cycling route, the natural monuments and the valley’s culture. Think about which of these matter to you during your stay; you can use that to guide your hotel search.

Discover more destinations: Ilava, Púchov, District of Nové Mesto nad Váhom, Partizánske, District of Považská Bystrica, Nitrianske Rudno, Myjava, Bánovce nad Bebravou.

Return to the regional travel overview: Trenčín.