Pusté Úľany: Floodplain Landscape and Local History

Pusté Úľany brings together a water-rich landscape and a complex architectural history. Six ponds, several streams and canals shape the local water system, while churches, chapels and historic monuments recall different eras. You can therefore plan your trip around two distinct themes: nature and outdoor activities, or architecture and local history.

Ponds, Streams and Floodplains

The local water system of Pusté Úľany comprises six ponds, three streams and three irrigation canals. The Čierna voda forms the southern boundary of the cadastral area. Landscape features along it include old meanders, or oxbow lakes, riverside vegetation, wetlands and meadows, as well as stands of willow and poplar. Water and damp riverbanks, as well as open meadows, are therefore part of the landscape.

The Úľanské rybníky and floodplain area is designated as a Special Protection Area of transregional, pan-European importance under the Natura 2000 network. The Pusté Úľany area is home to critically endangered and endangered plants, as well as other highly threatened species. These features also highlight the landscape’s value as a habitat.

Outdoor Activities

Fishing is possible in the surrounding area at several streams and ponds. The local bodies of water also offer opportunities for wild swimming; in winter, the ponds serve as natural ice-skating rinks. The floodplain forests are suitable for hiking, the surrounding area for cycling, and the floodplain landscape for birdwatching.

Each activity offers a different focus: fishing and swimming draw attention to the waters, while hiking, cycling and birdwatching put the floodplain landscape in the foreground. Ice skating is a separate seasonal option at the local ponds. If you plan your stay around an activity, you can first decide whether you would rather spend time by the water or in the floodplain landscape.

Architectural History and Sacred Art

The manor house is located near the centre of Pusté Úľany. Its main façade has seven bays and a three-bay raised central projection. A projection is a section of a building that extends out from the façade; here, its height and three façade bays set it apart. The Baroque roadside statues of Saint John of Nepomuk and Saint Florian are another trace of the past. Gašpar Farkaš and his wife Magda Baloghová commissioned both statues in 1734.

At the upper end of the village stands a column bearing a group of figures representing the Holy Trinity. It was erected in 1903, probably by the Marcell family. In the park in front of the Roman Catholic church is the monument to the fallen of the First World War, erected in 1941; it incorporates a fragment of an old Baroque column. The two monuments reflect different forms of remembrance and religious representation.

The Church of Saint Ladislaus stands near the centre, west of the road to Pavlice on Pavlická ulica. Its furnishings include an organ dating from 1898, with one manual, eight stops and a pedal. The Protestant church is located in the southwest of Pusté Úľany, on the so-called Luther Hill. Originally a Renaissance church, it was mentioned as an Article church in 1660 and rebuilt in the Classical style after a fire in 1820.

The two chapels also differ in their architectural style and furnishings. The Baroque Chapel of the Visitation of Mary was built in 1742; its vaults are decorated with a Baroque depiction of the open sky and two floating angels. The Neo-Gothic Chapel of Saint Joseph dates from 1866 and contains a polychrome, or multicoloured, statue of the saint. Baroque and Neo-Gothic styles thus stand side by side as distinct chapters in the village’s history.

Find a Hotel That Matches Your Travel Interests

If you are looking for a hotel in Pusté Úľany, start by asking which theme will shape your trip: the waters and floodplains, outdoor activities, or the history of the sacred buildings. This will help you tailor your search to what interests you most during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Šalgočka, Veľký Grob, Košúty, Dolná Streda, Šintava, Vozokany, Sereď, Veľké Úľany

For the broader travel overview: Galanta.