Romantic journey for history and views

Today's adventurous route will take us to the Považský Inovec mountains, where a pleasant hike and a beautiful view from the lookout tower await us. 

We start in the village of Nitrianska Blatnica. We use the parking lot directly in the village for parking.

From the parking lot, we follow the green hiking trail leading along the asphalt road. On the right side, we pass an enclosure with wild boars. If temperatures are not high, they can be seen even near the protective fence. That is why we recommend this excursion also for families with children.

At the Nitrianska Blatnica - vineyards signpost, we turn right and continue to follow the green hiking trail and the educational trail Považský Inovec up to the Jurko crossroads signpost. This section of the route leads through dense forest and along the Cycling Magistrale around Považský Inovec. At the Jurko crossroads signpost, we say goodbye to the green trail. From this moment, we will be accompanied by the yellow hiking trail which will gradually lead us to the Rotunda of St. George. 

The Rotunda of St. George, built in the 9th century, is one of the oldest sacred buildings in Slovakia. We will rest here for a moment. We are enchanted by the many benches built in a semicircle, reminding us of an amphitheater. Now we start to gain elevation meters to the Marhát saddle at a faster pace. The yellow hiking trail, which we continue to follow, leads through dense forest directly to the Marhát saddle. From the saddle, it is just a stone's throw to the top of Marhát - 451 m elevation with 56 m of ascent. 

At the top of Marhát, we find a 17-meter-high lookout tower that rewards us with 360-degree views. The views include the Tribeč mountains, Vtáčnik, the distant Veľká Fatra, Strážovské vrchy, the entire ridge of Považský Inovec, or the White Carpathians (Veľká Javorina and Jelenec). In case of bad weather, there is a gazebo on the top, so there is nothing to worry about. The gazebo’s roof is almost fairy-tale like, overgrown with moss in the shape of a large heart. 

It’s time to get moving and continue. We descend from the top of Marhát via the red hiking trail along a rocky ridge with interesting trees. These trees give the impression of being constantly exposed to harsh weather. It is a beautifully photogenic spot, so we couldn’t resist taking some photos. 

Just a short distance along the red trail, and we return to the typical beech forest of Považský Inovec, with the path running (in summer) through tall vegetation. In some sections, we get views of the Tematín castle ruins, Jelenie jamy, as well as Marhát and Bielený vrch.

We gradually pass Trhovičná meadow until we reach the Gajda saddle, where we temporarily leave the main ridge. After less than 700 meters, we arrive at the natural monument Hanging Rocks, from which you can identify the Malé Karpaty mountains dominated by Záruby hill (767 m). Off the hiking trail, on the meadow below the Hanging Rocks, hikers can find a swing with a view of the beautiful scenery of the Tribeč mountains (Zobor, Žibrica, Veľký Tribeč). We, however, return the same way to Trhovičná meadow, from which we connect back to the green hiking trail. A somewhat longer descent awaits us along this trail back to Nitrianska Blatnica. We already know most of the descent route from the previous ascent.