Bzince Pod Javorinou: Hiking, Nature and History

Bzince Pod Javorinou brings together natural and cultural landscapes with a specifically described hiking route. Protected landscapes lie in the northern part of the cadastral area; a hike to Veľká Javorina begins in Cetuna. The village’s history also includes a memorial room dedicated to the writer Ľudmila Podjavorinská, churches and archaeological finds. These topics offer different points of interest if you would like to include nature, hiking and history in your travel plans.

Landscape and Protected Natural Areas

The northern part of the cadastral area of Bzince Pod Javorinou lies within the Biele Karpaty Protected Landscape Area. The European Site of Community Importance SKUEV0367 Holubyho kopanice is also located in this northern part. It includes regularly mown meadows and wetlands with stable orchid populations.

The Veľká Javorina Nature Reserve extends across Lubina and Bzince Pod Javorinou. Covering 82.98 hectares, it protects natural maple-beech forests in the highest elevations of this part of the White Carpathians. Near Cetuna, above Bzince Pod Javorinou, there is a different habitat: the protected Cetuna Natural Monument is a 0.28-hectare small fen. It protects the region’s largest population of Gymnadenia densiflora.

The figures illustrate the different scales: the nature reserve covers 82.98 hectares, while the small fen covers 0.28 hectares. The habitats described also differ, ranging from maple-beech forest and fen to meadows and wetlands. If you are interested in nature conservation, you will find several specific focal points here rather than just one type of landscape.

Hiking from Cetuna

A marked hiking route starts in Cetuna, a district of Bzince Pod Javorinou, and follows the blue-marked E8 long-distance trail to Veľká Javorina and back. The route is 12 kilometres long, with 590 metres of ascent and 590 metres of descent, and is rated as moderate.

When planning your hikes, you can take the distance, ascent and descent, and difficulty level into account together. These details give you a clear sense of the scope of this particular route and help you consider it as a set part of your trip.

Culture and History of the Village

In the centre of Bzince Pod Javorinou, the Pamätná izba Ľudmily Podjavorinskej is located in the writer’s birthplace. Visits are possible year-round by prior arrangement by phone or email. Arrange your visit in advance by phone or email. An exhibition devoted largely to Ľudmila Podjavorinská features photographs, tapestries, books and puppet figures.

The churches also reflect different historical periods. The Roman Catholic Church of St Michael the Archangel is already mentioned in papal tithe registers dating from 1332 to 1337. The bell tower in Hrušové is a national cultural monument and has a unique 24-hour clock face, introduced in the 1990s.

Archaeological excavations in the old cemetery in Hrušové uncovered the walls of a single-nave Gothic church. It is tentatively dated to the 14th century and is considered evidence of medieval settlement in the podjavorina region. The village’s history also reaches into other areas of everyday life: historical occupations included farming, viticulture, livestock breeding, wooden utensil making and embroidery. Traditional occupations persisted during the First Czechoslovak Republic.

Discover more destinations: Višňové, Kálnica, Lubina, Beckov, Modrová, Považany, Nová Bošáca, Hrachovište.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Nové Mesto Nad Váhom.