SK, Piestany – The Home of Health and Beauty VII

A small port situated below the Colonnade bridge, is home to Trajan cruise boat.  About sixty passengers can fit inside the boat. They can sit in a closed cabin, open terrace-like space or before the helm. There are two types of cruises – long and short one. Both go toward Slnava lake. The long one takes you across Ratnovska bay or to Drahovske lake. A trip also depends on weather and water surface condition.

We did not plan the cruise. It was rather a spontaneous decision. A board in the port  included information of cruise times and then we arrived when necessary. A large spa guest group was given priority. They had seats booked in advance. Still we fit in and were looking forward to some adventure.

We set off from the Colonnade bridge, sailed under Krajinsky Bridge. Then we were headed towards a recreation area. We were moving away from the city. Only concrete high rise blocks of flats of Florea districts were still visible. Soon we reached a forest park and Lodenice recreation area. There is a camp, restaurants, buffes, tennis courts or water sports resort. In the latter, people can try windsurfing, yachting, skif, or kayaks.  Lodenice is venue for several important natioanl and international races and Slovakia largest country and folk music festival.

The cruise continued on. To us, a strange building with a hay sparked our interest. Later, we learned this is Fishermen's Yard. There is local "Siesta Beach" several meters further. There are snack bars and children attractions. A weir of a water reservoir  follows this place.

We turned around on Slnava dam lake. We enjoyed amazing vistas, wooded hills of  Povazsky Inovec. The name of the lake suggests this one is an area orich on sunny days. Because of this, Cajka, an artificial island which became a huge nesting place of seagulls and other birds, also a place to overwinter of African and other thermophilic birds. The island is listed as a rare European bird areas. The reservoir is utilized as water reservoir for Jaslovsky Bohunice nuclear power plant.

When seeing a flock of birds, we didn't watch the shore any more and felt as if were on the sea for a while. Slowly, we were moving back towards the city. We enjoyed unforgettable vistas. You can even walk this trail (takes about 3 hours), by bike or on roller skates (about 45 minutes). A 12-kilometers asphalt road goes around the dam. The entire circuit is open from April to October.

The trip was great addition to our stay in Piestany. We fell easily in love with this spa town. Happilly will we return here at some point in the future. Hopefully, you find inspiration in our articles to visit it.

GPS: 48°33'14.5"N 17°49'36.4"E

Text and photos: Oskár Mažgút