The best MTB trails around okres Zlaté Moravce

The castle is first mentioned in sources in 1300, when it was the property of master Petr Čak. After the death of his heirs, the castle passed into the hands of the king. The Oponický Castle was under the administration of the royal castellan until 1392, when Peter Evra of Stráží finally became the sole owner. He was the first to derive his name from the name of the castle and from 1411 he began to use the predicate "de Appon". The Hussite threat in the first half of the 15th century forced the castle owners to build a new fortification with modern loopholes. The looming Turkish threat was another incentive to further expand the castle. The then owner of the castle, Bene dikt Apponi, had a cannon bastion called Terés built on the west side. At the end of the 16th century, when Juraj Apponi was the owner of the castle, another reconstruction took place at the castle, with the focus on the development of artillery. To meet the needs of long-term residents of the castle, he built rooms that also met the requirements of representing a family with high social status. During this period, the Renaissance castle was built in the north-eastern part of the forecourt. It was Juraj's brother Peter who completed this reconstruction. In 1645, a devastating fire broke out at the castle. During the Rákoci Uprising, the castle still served as a refuge for the insurgents. At the end of the 17th century, the castle was probably blown up by the Turks or completely destroyed during the uprising of Juraj Rákoci II.

The castle is freely accessible, but the entire complex is a dilapidated ruin. The central entrance alone is adventurous. Here, branches have been nailed together to form a makeshift bridge. Here, friends of the castle have made the ruins accessible to visitors with little money and a lot of initiative. Red information signs point out your own responsibility: "Entry into the grounds of Oponicke Castle is at your own risk. BE RESPONSIBLE, THANK YOU" How wonderfully pragmatic! Even if you don't dare cross the bridge, the walk is worth it. The forecourt of the castle is grassy and invites you to linger. You have a wonderful view of the lovely cultural landscape with the rolling hills and the surrounding villages.

The pride of the municipality of Topoľčianky, north of Zlaté Moravce in western Slovakia at the foot of the Tribeč Mountains, is a vast English park with a picturesque neoclassical castle forming the southern wing of an older chateau. Originally there was a Gothic moated castle and later a Renaissance fortress. At the beginning of the 19th century, the then owner, Count Jan Keglevich, had the southern Renaissance wing demolished and in its place built a Classicist wing, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful and purest architectural representations of Classicism in Slovakia. In the past, the palace was the summer residence of the Habsburgs, and after the First World War it was the summer residence of the presidents. The last major reconstruction of the three Renaissance wings of the entire building took place at this time. The first President of the Czechoslovak Republic, T.G. Masaryk loved to visit Topoľčianky not only for work, but also for recreation. The classicist wing of the palace gradually became a museum. Its visitors can admire an extensive library with over 14 thousand volumes, which is one of the few preserved chateau libraries in Slovakia. The contemporary interior and valuable furniture from the 16th to 19th centuries with beautiful pictorial decorations and ceramic and porcelain collections also deserve attention (it is one of the largest ceramic collections in Slovakia).

Château Topoľčianky is a wine producer founded in 1933 in the central part of the Danube plain in theLogo Chateau Topolcianky South of the Slovak Republic. With over six million bottles produced each year, it is the country's leading wine producer and one of the most established wine brands in the Central European region. On their own 400 hectares of vineyards around the village of Topoľčianky, they produce more than 6,000,000,000 bottles of red, white and rose wines annually. The tradition of viticulture in this region dates back to 1723 and many families have long-established wineries in the region. On selected varieties, they maintain a tradition of working closely with smaller winemakers in the region, buying a few extra grapes from them every year. Their wines include typical varieties in the Danube region in categories of quality wines and wines with attributes. Typical grapes of the region include Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Blaufränkich, Pinot Noir and some regional specialties such as Palava, Devin and Alibernet. The combination of northern climate and variable soil conditions with professional treatment by qualified winegrowers results in highly interesting wines of top quality.

Reward after the ride.

Putifar was the first breeding bison male in the bison field, which was donated to us by the Polish government

Pleasant sitting on the terrace, refreshments on the route Nitra Gýmeš

Excellent swimming after a fable in the woods below Zobor