By the time the reign of King Bela IV ended, almost a hundred new stone fortresses had been added to Slovakia. A chain of guard castles was built on Považie, of which Tematín was a part. For centuries, it dominated the region of the middle course of the river Váh. Today, part of this area is part of the Trenčín self-governing region, spread in its southwestern tip.
The former estate of the Tematín castle consisted of municipalities that currently belong to the Piešťany and Novomestský districts. The ruin of the famous castle stands in the imaginary center between them, it is located on the promontory of Považský Inovec and even after 300 years it remains an unmissable landmark. However, the history of the region goes even further than 1270, when the first written mention of the castle appears. Thanks to the favorable climate and the fertile floodplain of the Váh, people have established settlements here continuously, since prehistoric times. Numerous archeological finds in the cadastre of several municipalities testify to the dense settlement and economic development already in the 9th century.
Today's territory of the Thematic estate has largely retained its rural character, but industrial development is also thriving here. This is aided by good transport infrastructure, including motorways and railways, to which a network of cycle paths is gradually being added. In the past, the river route along the Váh, along which rafts sailed, was also crucial. The monument to this are preserved stones, which were tied in the past.
The region appeals with its history, but also with interesting tourist routes. Many of them take you directly to the castle gates. However, be careful - Tematín is one of the highest built castles in Slovakia, so climbing it is not one of the easiest. However, if you decide to take this route, you can look forward to some of the most beautiful views of the surrounding area. In addition, the Tematínske vrchy National Nature Reserve is one of the areas of European importance Natura 2000 and can boast of a rare species diversity of animals.
In the region you will also discover several remarkable monuments, which, however, often stand in the shadow of the castle itself. In the village of Modrovka, for example, the bell tower built at the beginning of the 20th century is interesting, and in Lúka, the manor house from the 17th century. It was built by the nobleman Gašpar Šándor, who was allegedly dissatisfied with the fact that his wife had asserted her vision of the manor. Therefore, he had a plaque placed on one of the walls with the proverb: "Woe to the court where the cow commands the ox."
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