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Ardovo - Baroque-Classicist church

Ardovo - Baroque-Classicist church

The Baroque-Classicist church in Ardovo is located at the highest point of the village. From its gate there is a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Visitors can admire mainly the interior with a beautiful 18th century baroque altar and pulpit, as well as the wooden gallery.
The Evangelical church was built between the years 1787 and 1788, just after issuing the Patent of Toleration that extended religious freedom to non-Catholic Christians. Interesting is the fact that foundations of an older fortification from the 16th century were found among the walls. It all indicates there was probably another older fortified church in the village from the times of the Turkish invasion. The church’s bell tower was added to the structure in 1928. In case of visiting the church please contact the municipal office in advance.

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Bohúňovo - Gothic Church

Bohúňovo - Gothic Church

The late-Gothic church in the middle of Bohúňovo is approximately opposite the Classicist Evangelic church from the beginning of the 20th century. The original wooden coffered ceiling was rebuilt and replaced by a flat plastered one. However, several painted wooden coffers have survived and still hang on the walls. They are decorated with folk motifs. The same motifs can be found on the wooden gallery as well. The Triumphal arch, separating the inner sanctum and the liturgical area, can be considered atypical for it has a circular shape rather than a typical pointed one. The original barrel vault has been preserved in the sanctum. The wedge-shaped cap of the sanctum is quite rare and not characteristic for this region. The bell tower with its wooden shingled roof is a bit younger structure and it was completed to its current shape in the 18th century. In case of visiting the church please contact municipal office in advance.

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Ardovo - Máte’s house

Ardovo - Máte’s house

The origin of this old farmer’s house dates back to 1852. Visitors can take a look at the exposition of period furnishing, clothes and historical objects of daily use and agricultural production. The exhibits of the permanent exposition were donated by local households. One part of the farmhouse is a chamber with contemporary furnace for baking bread. The entry is on request, please contact the municipal office.

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Dlhá Ves - Classicist Evangelic Church

Dlhá Ves - Classicist Evangelic Church

The Classicist Evangelic Church was built in 1792, following the adoption of the Toleration Patent (1781) by which Emperor Joseph II declared freedom of religion. It concerned these Christian religions: Evangelic Augsburg Lutheran, Calvinist Reformed Helvetic, Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic. The church has undergone some partial reconstruction. Its bell tower with an interesting top dates from the first half of the 19th century. According to local myths the sphere of the tower contains a message from the ancestors for future generations. Should the village be in great need or grave danger, only then can this message be read. We can assume that such message existed because it was a tradition in other villages as well. However, a more reasonable explanation regarding its content is it being actually a status report from the time of building the church tower. It went through reconstruction in 1913 when it was lengthened by 8 meters.

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Dlhá Ves - Village House

Dlhá Ves - Village House

The exposition installed in this house provides information regarding a time period from the beginning of the 19th century until the 1970’s. It revives the historically accurate household equipment, work tools and also clothing of several generations. In its three rooms you can see period furniture with antique dressers, wardrobes, beds, chairs or cradle. Together with many rare items of daily use it provides an authentic picture of the time. The large looms can most certainly classified among these items. They are from the days when each family grew its own hemp and made yarn, canvas and clothes. The kitchen is furnished in the same way and its atmosphere is preserved on historic photos from the village. The exposition focuses mainly on families engaged in agriculture. In the last room you can see achievements of more modern times, such as typewriters or tape recorders. To visit please contact the municipal office.

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Čoltovo - Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church

Čoltovo - Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church

The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church stands on a high ground on the outskirts of Čoltovo. You can get a beautiful view on the valley of the river Slaná from this place. The church was originally built in Gothic style at the beginning of the 14th century. It went through some significant reconstruction in the 17th century followed by some minor ones in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its bell tower was severely damaged during the liberation of the village in World War II while the Russians mounted a massive artillery barrage in an attempt to wipe out the German positions. It was necessary to build a new one. During the last reconstruction between 2000 and 2004 the original Gothic pastophorium was uncovered. Its gothic heritage e is still preserved in the triumphal arch and window linings on the east side. Visiting the church can be arranged in advance at the municipal office or the nearby pastoral office.

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Gemerská Panica - Baroque Evangelic Church

Gemerská Panica - Baroque Evangelic Church

The historically valuable sacral building of Baroque style was built in 1801 on the foundations of an older temple. The church was later modified in Classicist style. The most notable peculiarity of its interior is the wooden pulpit from 1656. If interested in a tour contact the municipal office.

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Gemerská Panica - Manor house

Gemerská Panica - Manor house

The Eclectic style manor house was built in the 19th century. It belongs to the national cultural heritage and so does the adjacent park. The building functioned as a summer residence for Hungarian Count Kubínyi who was a member of the Hungarian Diet and expert on railways. He designed the railway line between Plešivec and Muráň. The manor house has been completely renovated and is currently functioning as a guesthouse.

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Hrušov - St. Anne’s Chapel

Hrušov - St. Anne’s Chapel

Just about three kilometres north-west from Hrušov, right in the thick of the Upper Mountain’s sprawling vineyards stands a solitary small Gothic chapel dedicated to St. Anne. It was built in the 14th century and originally was property of the Benedictine convent. The order, in addition to vine making, dealt with fruit growing as well. The village and its surroundings were famous in the past for their extensive and fertile orchards. Its name, along with the names of the neighbouring villages (Jablonov and Silická Jablonica) might stem from this fact. It is possible that the original chapel served not only the monks but the inhabitants of Hrušov and other villages on the Silica Plateau as well. It is not known for how long the chapel and its surroundings remained in the order’s possession because in the 15th century it came under the management of Ján Jiskra and his Brethrens. Several graves were found from this period. It’s likely that the church remained abandoned for several decades because some preserved inscriptions were found under the plaster. Pilgrimage is held here once a year, the first Sunday after the feast of St. Anne. (July 26). The church is otherwise closed. Visiting should be agreed in advance with the municipal office of Hrušov.

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Hrušov - St. Mary‘s Church of Immaculate Conception

Hrušov - St. Mary‘s Church of Immaculate Conception

Right after entering the village, by the main road, there stands the Roman Catholic St. Mary’s church of Immaculate Conception. The Gothic single-nave sacral building originates from the 14th century and it belongs to the national cultural heritage of Slovakia. While its nave seems to be typically Gothic at first glance, it was reconstructed several times in the 17th and 18th centuries. A small painting from 1763 proves that the church was rebuilt with some Baroque elements. Inside its premises it houses the portrait of St. Anne that was originally placed into the homonymous chapel by the vineyards in the outskirts of the village. The church is open only during religious ceremonies. Visiting by a tourist group should be agreed in advance with the municipality.

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Hrhov - Reformed Church

Hrhov - Reformed Church

The church is a protected monument and its origin dates back to 1785. The wooden pulpit and interior fitting from the 19th century are the work of János Wandrák. The organ, originated in 1886, comes from Sándor Országh’s workshop in Budapest.

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Hrhov - St. John the Baptist’s Church

Hrhov - St. John the Baptist’s Church

The building of the church dates back to 1500, but some written sources mention years 1332-1334. The current building might have been the rebuilt form of the earlier original Romanesque church. The fact of the church’s older dating is also supported by the gravestone of Juraj Bebek (Bebek György) who died in 1381. He was a member of the Bebek family that became popular in Gemer due to ownership of the castle Krásna Hôrka. Despite its Gothic or maybe Romanesque roots, the church is mainly Classicist nowadays due to major reconstruction in 1823. This is confirmed by the contemporary writing on the façade. There are remains of a 17th century fortification system with a watchtower around the church. It served as a defence against possible attacks of the Turks.

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Jablonov nad Turňou - Gothic Church of the Holy Trinity

Jablonov nad Turňou - Gothic Church of the Holy Trinity

In the village’s central square, opposite the municipal office, stands the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity. The construction started in the 14th century, completed with a southern late-Gothic church chapel in 1500 which bears some similarities to the Barkoczi chapel in Rožňava. The sacristy and the side gallery were divided by a new ceiling during one of the reconstruction works. On the side gallery above the sacristy there is a late-Gothic cross vault and Gothic pillars are still visible on the sanctum’s closure. In 1556 Jablonov and the neighboring settlements fell victim to Turkish plundering. The Turks mounted numerous raids against the village and demanded ransom from municipalities to let them exist at all. They destroyed the church and its restoration had to wait until the end of the 17th century. It has been reconstructed in Baroque style which resulted in lowering the ceiling while preserving the original height of the walls. The original fragments of Gothic frescoes remained on the north and east side walls above the Baroque ceiling (currently the attic). Visits can be arranged through the pastoral office.

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Jablonov nad Turňou - Granarium

Jablonov nad Turňou - Granarium

One of the most remarkable objects of the village is a large historical building called Granárium. Its name probably stems from the Italian word “granario” which means granary. It dates from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. It served as a granary but also as a wine cellar and food storage facility. At the time when Jablonov nad Turňou was part of Szádvár’s estate the granary was property of the Eszterhazy family. The exact year of its construction is unknown, although some documents narrowing the search have been preserved. It stored taxes paid in kind rather than money (known as the harvest’s tenth). Aside from grain, wine and sheep cheese the huge building also stored fruits and other products. The Granarium is currently led by the Alma Centrum civic association whose goal is to increase the attractiveness of the region in terms of tourism. In its cellar it houses an exposition about the history of wine making and offers a marvellous opportunity for tasting local wines. Aside from that, the Granarium provides accommodation as well.

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Kečovo - Historical and Ethnographic exposition

Kečovo - Historical and Ethnographic exposition

The exposition of household equipment is installed in a typical old village house with an open corridor restored by the locals. Among the exhibited items, that cover the period from the end of the 19th century to the 1940s, one can find period furniture, a collection of bottles and glasses, historical photographs and also typical clothing. Please contact the municipal office in case of a visit.

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Kunova Teplica - Classicist Church

Kunova Teplica - Classicist Church

The Evangelic church bearing the marks of the Classicist style was built in 1805. It was severely damaged during the liberation fights in World War II therefore it needed reconstruction. Nowadays the church attracts especially with wall paintings above the altar. They portray famous reformers and fighters for the rights of Protestant churches. On the rightmost painting Martin Luther (1483-1546), a preacher and founder of the Reformed Church, can be seen. Continuing to the left there is Štefan Bočkaj (Bocskay István) (1557-1606): Prince of Transylvania, leader of the anti-Habsburg uprising who fought for recognition of Protestantism. Followed by Juraj Rákoci (Rákóczy György) (1593-1648): the right hand man of Gabriel Bethlen in the anti–Habsburg uprising and significant propagator of the Reformed religion. On the leftmost paintings Dr. Philipp Melanchton (1497-1560), a philosopher and reformer, is depicted. Please notify the municipal office about your visiting intention in advance.

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Pašková - Reform Church

Pašková - Reform Church

Mentioned as the White Church in some written sources, it was built in the Classicist style in 1802 upon the foundations of an older church of unknown age. The defensive wall around the church comes from the 17th century. The bell tower houses two bells with inscriptions on them. On the bigger one it reads: “Cast at own expense of the Holy Reformed church in Pašková, 1828 – citizen Laurendius”. The inscription on the smaller bell says: “cast at own expense of the Holy Reformed church in Pašková, 1828 – citizens of Dobšiná”. Both bells are obviously the products from Gemer, precisely the campanology (bell-foundry) in Dobšiná.
The church belongs to the parsonage of Plešivec. It is recommended to notify the municipal office in Pašková about your arrival in advance.

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Plešivec - Castle

Plešivec - Castle

Partial remains of the castle ruins from 1320 can still be found on Hradná Street. The fortress was property of the Bebek family from the beginnings until it was burnt by the imperial army in 1557 as a direct consequence of Juraj Bebek’s actions when he allied with the Turks, much to the emperor’s dislike. But the town of Plešivec was not very fortunate either. One year later it was attacked and plundered by the Turks.

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Plešivec - Gothic Church

Plešivec - Gothic Church

The Gothic church in Plešivec, was originally a Roman Catholic one dedicated to St. George. Even today it is characterized by Gothic elements such as rare medieval frescoes. It is highly probable that there stood another church before, maybe in the same place even, but it destroyed in a fire. So the Ákos family (later known as Bebek) built a Gothic church in the first half of the 14th century to replace it. During the Ottoman expansion in 1558 the Turks set the settlement on fire along with its church. After that it was abandoned until its restoration by the Calvinists in 1617. In 1627 an indoor balcony (emporia) was added to the church. It was rebuilt and decorated by paintings in 1744 and remains a remarkable piece of art even nowadays. The church managed to retain its medieval Gothic character. The origin of the frescoes is attributed to wandering Italian masters credited for decorating many other churches in Gemer. The frescoes of Stephen I and Ladislaus I can be seen on the south side wall. In 1807 a bell tower was added to the structure. It is currently a protected monument. There are church services held in the church to this day. Visiting is possible only after prior agreement.

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Silica - The Gothic All Saints’ Church

Silica - The Gothic All Saints’ Church

The originally Gothic church, surrounded by historical defensive walls, stands in the upper part of Silica village. Today it is property of the Reformed Church while in times of establishing it belonged to the Catholic Church and was dedicated to All Saints. Its construction dates back to 1525 presumably. The old nave was constructed in the early stages and was further enlarged and extended in the Middle Ages. In 1525 a huge bell tower was added to the structure which might suggest some inconsistency in the dating of the church itself. Although the structure retained a lot of its Gothic elements but they are not dominant nowadays. The church was rebuilt several times, most notably in years 1776, 1813 and 1876. Currently, the Classicist style dominates the building. However, visitors are still able to see frescoes that probably originate (like elsewhere in the near Gemer) from the second half of the 14th century. In case of a visit it is wise to contact the pastoral or municipal office in advance.

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Silická Brezová - Renaissance Church and Classicist bell tower

Silická Brezová - Renaissance Church and Classicist bell tower

The Rennaissance church from the 16th century surrounded by historical defensive walls stands in the middle of the village. It belonged to the Protestants since construction and today it serves the Reformed Church that follows the Calvinist ways. The church is a national cultural monument as well as the bell tower from the 19th century. The bell tower is not the part of the church, but its fortification with the gate leading to the churchyard. According to oral tradition the church was established and possibly rebuilt by the mercenaries of Ján Jiskra, the famous Hussite leader.
Compared to Roman Catholic churches the interior is relatively puritan. However, the gallery, the pulpit and the coffered ceiling from the 18th century are worth to see. They are made of wood and decorated with ornamental folk paintings – a rare phenomenon typical for the Baroque style. There are old, simple wooden prayer benches placed at the rear gallery. According to locals these benches were made by the Hussites. The arrival of larger tourist groups must be announced in advance.

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Silická Jablonica - Gothic Church of the Holy Cross

Silická Jablonica - Gothic Church of the Holy Cross

The Gothic Church of the Holy Cross was built at the central part of the village. It stands on a high ground as the village’s most emblematic building. Its size backs up the assertion that Silická Jablonica was much more populated in the past than it is today. Aside from its basic purpose it served as a place of pilgrimage as well. On the Day of St. Peter and St. Paul, whom the church’s altar is dedicated to, a pilgrimage is held here, when people of Silicka Jablonica and the neighboring settlements like Hrusov, Jablonov nad Turnou and the currently extinct village of Derenk come to pay their respects and pray.
According to data from the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic the church originates from the 1500s. The first written mention of Silická Jablonica from 1386 allows to assume that the village is much older. Based on this fact the Church of the Holy Cross presumably wasn’t the first one in Silická Jablonica, but remains of no other church were found and there is virtually no information regarding an exact place. In the 18th and 19th centuries the local fruit-growing and wine-making region was dominated by the Andrássy family. The church’s restoration to its current form was funded by them as well. Unfortunately, the reconstruction was quite insensitive to the original architecture and it resulted in complete disappearance of the original Gothic style. The church’s style is classified nowadays as Neo-Gothic, although it is quite atypical. Compared to Catholic churches in general the interior is relatively austere. Noteworthy is the large wooden gallery. There is a historical document in the altar from 1871 reporting about the Andrássy family’s contribution to the church’s reconstruction.
Currently the Church of the Holy Cross belongs to the Roman Catholic parsonage in Jablonov nad Turnou, but keys can be acquired from the municipal office in Silicka Jablonica.

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Slavec - The Paulines Monastery

Slavec - The Paulines Monastery

The ruins of an old monastery are located by the former settlement of Gombasek near the road to Gombasecká Cave. Except for the foundations and an eight metres high wall nothing else remained of this Gothic church dedicated to Virgin Mary for future generations. All that is indicated on the information board installed for the visitors. The Paulines came to this area in 1371, upon invitation from George and Ladislav Bebek, and operated here until 1555 when they were ousted by George Bebek who took the Protestants’ side. The monastery was then modified into a fortress using castles of the lowland as a raw model. In 1567 the imperial army has taken the fortress as an act of revenge for the battle in 1566 when Bebek defeated the emperor’s army led by General Buchhein. Bebek himself was not an honorable fair-dealing nobleman as he led numerous plundering raids against villages and itinerant merchants.

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Slavec - Reformed churches in Vidová and Slavec

Slavec - Reformed churches in Vidová and Slavec

The church in Vidová was originally built in the style of Renaissance, then in the 1800s a Classicist tower was attached to it. The 15th century late-Gothic church in Slavec is obviously much older. It has undergone several modifications through the years, mainly external. Both temples have rare painted wooden coffered ceilings and galleries. In case of visiting these churches please contact the municipal office.

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Bretka - Permanent exposition on the history of beekeeping

Bretka - Permanent exposition on the history of beekeeping

also called “Skansen Beretkei” located in house #29, also provides accommodation. Web: http://skanzen-beretkei.webnode.sk.

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Bretka - Ruins of a church and military bunker

Bretka - Ruins of a church and military bunker

Located in the middle of the village. The church fell victim to aerial bombardment during an unfortunate raid on the nearby military bunker. The bunker is still in good condition.

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