Bottovo: Local History and Reservoirs of the Region

Bottovo can be viewed from two perspectives: through its settlement history and through Route 3, which passes through the village. When planning your trip, both places of remembrance in Bottovo and the region’s reservoirs and other stops are relevant.

Local History and Places of Remembrance

Bottovo was founded in 1926 in the cadastral areas of Dubovec, Cakov and Rimavská Seč. The settlers included Slovaks from Orava and Pohronie, as well as Czech colonists from the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The village’s history therefore spans several regions of origin.

After the annexation to Hungary in 1938, the Slovak settlers had to leave Bottovo. Twelve years passed between the village’s founding in 1926 and this forced departure.

A monument to Ivan Krasko stands in Bottovo. There is a local monument in the park in front of the cultural centre. Both landmarks anchor the village’s history in specific places.

According to a 2019 report, an ash tree in Bottovo was the last surviving tree from an original group of 50 trees planted by local schoolchildren. This story connects a local natural feature with a community planting project.

Route 3, Reservoirs and Cycling Tours

Route 3 begins at the Kurinec recreation centre near Rimavská Sobota and runs through Hodejov, Bottovo and the Číž spa to the Teplý vrch recreation centre. This sequence places Bottovo on a route with several villages as well as a start and end point. Route 3 also leads to mineral springs and bodies of water in the region.

Bottovo Reservoir is a stop along the route; Martinová Reservoir follows shortly afterwards. It lies in the vicinity of Bottovo and is designated as a protected natural area. The route thus leads from one named body of water to another, which has an explicitly designated protected status.

A separate cycling tour runs from Rimavská Sobota through Pavlovce and the Bottovo and Martinová reservoirs. The round trip is 34 kilometres long. Check local route conditions before setting out.

For trip planning, the two route descriptions offer different kinds of guidance: Route 3 can be understood through its starting point, intermediate stops and destination; the cycling tour through Pavlovce and the reservoirs focuses on the round-trip distance.

Regional Destinations and Nature

In the vicinity of Bottovo, in Číž, there are well-known spas for treating disorders of the musculoskeletal and circulatory systems. The spas are therefore in a different place from the places of remembrance mentioned in Bottovo.

On 27 June 1995, a brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) was recorded at Bottovo Reservoir.

When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between local landmarks and regional destinations: the monument to Ivan Krasko and the local monument in the park in front of the cultural centre are in Bottovo. The spas are in Číž, while Martinová Reservoir, designated as a protected natural area, is in the vicinity. Route 3 passes through Bottovo and Číž and also mentions both reservoirs.

Discover more destinations: Padarovce, Zádor, Studená, Kociha, Drienčany, Jestice, Žíp, Rimavská Baňa

For the broader travel overview: Okres Rimavská Sobota.