Lúka: Nature, Tematín Castle and Manor House

The built-up area of Lúka lies in the foothills of the Považský Inovec near the left bank of the Váh. The landmarks of Lúka include the manor house and the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows; Tematín Castle and two nature reserves are located in the surrounding area. The character of Lúka thus brings together sacred, aristocratic and nature-protected elements.

Nature

The Tematínska lesostep National Nature Reserve covers 59.67 ha and lies at an elevation of 280–475 m in Lúka in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom District. It was designated in 1976 and is located between the municipality and Tematín Castle. It protects remnants of thermophilous oak forests as well as extremely xerothermic rocky grasslands. Rare plants found in the reserve include Onosma visianii, Dianthus praecox subsp. lumnitzeri, Jurinea mollis and Dictamnus albus. Rare animal species include Saga pedo, the European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) and the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), which has a large population there.

The Kňaží vrch Nature Reserve covers 150.94 ha, lies at an elevation of 340–639 m and extends across Lúka, Modrová and Stará Lehota in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom District. It was designated in 1988. In the area between the summit of Kňažieho vrchu at an elevation of 639 m and the surrounding municipalities, the reserve preserves the best-preserved remnants of thermophilous oak forests with downy oak (Quercus pubescens) in the Považský Inovec.

Culture

Tematín Castle was one of the castles that secured Hungary’s western border in the Považí region. Due to its lines of sight to Čachtice Castle and Beckov Castle, Tematín also served as an important signal castle. From a platform near the main tower of Tematín Castle, there is a view of the southern part of the Považský Inovec and the northern edge of the Danube Lowland from Nové Mesto nad Váhom via Piešťany to Hlohovec.

The manor house in Lúka is a late Renaissance building dating from 1674. It was built on the model of a fortified Renaissance manor house with four corner towers. The two-storey, elongated block building has prominent corner towers and a Renaissance floor plan inside. A Baroque chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene stands in the manor house park. The character of the village is complemented by the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, which was consecrated on 16 September 2006.

Trails and Transport

Hiking trail 2425 begins in the centre of Lúka. For transport connections, the municipality provided a timetable link on its transport page for the Piešťany–Lúka–Beckov–Trenčín route; the posting date is given as 22 March 2021.

Local Character

The municipality of Lúka organised the event “Varenie Lúčanského gulášu” together with a sports bar. Nine people took part, and the event was accompanied musically by the group Kysucká heligonka.

Other destinations: Poriadie, Vrbovce, Brestovec, Miawa, Stará Myjava, Hrasne, Rudník

To the higher-level travel overview: Myjava.