Museums and galleries Slanské vrchy

The landmark of Trebišov is a charming Baroque-Neoclassical manor house that was once a magnificent residence of the noble Andráši family (Andrášiovci). The town of Trebišov, the center of Southern Zemplín, is located in the southwestern part of the Východoslovenská nížina lowland. Part of the region is the world-famous Tokaj wine region, offering first-class quality wines. The Trebišov district offers many options for recreation and relaxation, whether you set off for a walk through nature reserves of floodplain forests, fruit orchards, or the charming hills of the Slanské vrchy mountains. However, we invite you to take a tour of a museum that will tell you about the rich and interesting history of this picturesque district.

Manor house and its history

The manor was built on the remains of the local castle Parič by Count Imrich Csáky in 1786. The Andráši family inherited the residence in the first half of the 19th century and rebuilt the property in Neo-Renaissance style, without neglecting the extensive garden. The new owners transformed it into a beautiful French park with a rich representation of exotic tree species. The Andráši family also had a Neo-Gothic family tomb built in their park, as was the tradition among upper classes in the 19th century. At the beginning of the First World War, the furnishings of the manor house were transported to other Andráši residences in Budapest and Tiszadob. After the Second World War, the manor served until 1978 as a hospital with a polyclinic, and after a subsequent reconstruction, the Vlastivedné múzeum museum (established in Sečovce as early as the 1950s) moved into the premises of the former manor house in 1981. Since 2012, the museum bears a new name, Múzeum a Kultúrne centrum južného Zemplína v Trebišove. The institution specializes in the history of agriculture and Tokaj viticulture, collecting and displaying many historically valuable items presenting the history of the Trebišov district.

Expositions

The museum offers exceptionally interesting expositions that will delight all age groups and enthusiasts of various fields. Whether you are interested in traditional crafts, the history of agriculture, tractors, archaeology, folk clothing, or like to enjoy a golden drink, you will be thrilled by everything you can see in the complex. For example, the exposition of the history of agriculture in Eastern Slovakia documents the development of this industry from the Neolithic period to the present day. Machinery fans will appreciate the exposition of the steam plowing set or the exposition of agricultural machinery and mechanisms from the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Have you ever wondered how grain is processed? In that case, you will certainly be interested in the exhibition documenting the history of grain threshing from flails to modern combine threshing. If you want to learn more about the traditions of Southern Zemplín, you cannot miss the exposition presenting traditional disappearing and extinct crafts of Zemplín, especially rope making, blacksmithing, and wheelwrighting.

Artistic souls will enjoy the exposition of folk wood carving and sculpture of Zemplín, or the exhibition presenting folk clothing of Southern Zemplín from the first half of the 20th century. On a different note, the exhibition Andrášiovci na Trebišovsku reveals the history and manors of the noble family. And finally, one of the museum's greatest treasures is hidden in the cellar space. Located there is an exposition of Tokaj viticulture and winemaking in Slovakia. It is complemented by a unique archive of Tokaj wines, presenting producers of this unique beverage and collecting new samples. If the rich selection of permanent expositions were not enough for you, you will certainly be captivated by one of the thematic exhibitions of fine arts, phillumeny, ethnography, history, numismatics, or art. After visiting the exhibitions, you can indulge in a tasting of Tokaj varietal, quality, and selection wines at the Tokajská vináreň u Andrássyho wine cellar.

Exclusive attractions

If you are planning a group visit or a teambuilding event, the museum offers original attractions. Sign up for rope weaving and test your skills in rope making, an ancient Zemplín craft. The museum staff are Slovak record holders in this discipline, on August 12, 2011, they made a rope 103 meters long, thereby obtaining a certificate from the book of Slovak records. Another activity available for group bookings is home butter production in a butter churn, so-called churning. This was once a traditional activity in Zemplín households. At the end of your visit, you will have a unique and delicious gift, a knob of butter made from fresh homemade milk. Couples in love will also be pleased to know that the manor house, in its charming chambers combining past and present as well as art and tradition, offers wedding ceremonies as well as wedding and group photography sessions. As the manor house was completely renovated between 2015 and 2016, it has regained its ancient charm and 19th-century romance.

Find accommodation near Múzeum a Kultúrne centrum južného Zemplína and explore the enchanting Trebišov district. The region features historically significant towns and villages with remarkable cultural monuments, as well as nature reserves worth exploring. During your visit, you will certainly experience many pleasant moments and make lifelong memories. Book accommodation in the land of first-class wines and let yourself be carried away by the beauty of Eastern Slovakia. Here you will find cozy apartments and guesthouses in Dolný Zemplín that you will simply fall in love with.

The city of Prešov, which is the metropolis of Šariš, ranks among the largest and most beautiful cities in Slovakia. In it, you will find a number of unique attractions. When visiting it, you should definitely not bypass the Krajské múzeum, which is housed in the historic city center in Rákocziho palác. The building itself attracts visitors with its charm and beauty. It is not for nothing that it is described as the most beautiful town palace of Upper Hungary.

This Renaissance building was built in the 16th century on the most lucrative municipal land. Its elegant architecture and rich, yet subtle decoration will be appreciated by every expert. It is the most valuable example of Renaissance architecture in Slovakia that has been preserved to this day. The palace was created by converting two burgher houses commissioned by Žigmund Rákoczi. Among the most interesting architectural elements is the 17th-century Renaissance attic, which gives the building its specific character. The palace is also connected with various important historical events, such as the signing of the Peace of Prešov in 1663, or the anti-Habsburg uprisings in 1701.

Nowadays, it houses the Krajské múzeum. It attracts its visitors with a quantity of interesting exhibits. Among the museum's permanent exhibitions is the one capturing the history of firefighting in Slovakia. With its comprehensive character, it belongs to the most interesting ones in Slovakia. It captures firefighting equipment and tools in detail from as early as the Middle Ages, as well as the founding of voluntary fire brigades after the establishment of an independent Czechoslovak Republic post-1918. You will certainly be interested in the firefighting equipment, pumps, fire trucks, gear, and armament, including both working and ceremonial uniforms. Many a young visitor is amazed and unable to tear their eyes away from these exhibits, while their fathers enthusiastically help them delve into the world of brave fighters against the "red rooster" (fire).

It might be the historical exhibition that excites the ladies. Rare pieces of furniture from the 17th to 19th centuries, works of art, tapestries, historical weapons and ammunition, luxury clocks, or period currencies will carry you away into the past and present you with more than a millennium of Prešov's history. This "family silver" hides our social memory and pride. Rare chests of drawers, armchairs, marquetry-inlaid tables, and candlesticks will bring you closer to the former life of the Hungarian nobility. Perhaps you too will be enchanted by the view into richly decorated mirrors and at faithful portraits of the Rákoczi family.

The ethnographic exhibition, on the other hand, will bring you closer to the life and work of ordinary people. In your imagination, many crafts and folk arts will come alive. Will you be appealed to by the unique production method of bobbin lace or blueprint making? Or will you nostalgically recall the old farmyard and its tool equipment? The historical equipment of the pharmacy also deserves your admiration. A unique musical instrument of shepherds will not escape the attentive eye of a visitor either. It is a world unique, inscribed on the Slovak national list of cultural heritage, the gajdica.

Did you know that Slovakia was among the most significant extractors of rare precious opal? You can learn about that as well in the exhibition entitled Neživá príroda. Exhibits of minerals, rocks, or fossils will intrigue even the most demanding researchers. You will also find precious opal here, whose only deposit in Europe is located in the nearby Slanské vrchy. It has been mined here since 1597. However, the magnificent gem playing with all colors is not the only thing that might intrigue you. At the museum, you will also learn about the most valuable mineral in the world. No, it is not gold, but salt, which was mined and processed for long centuries in the Prešov city district of Solivar. One of the most interesting parts of the exhibition is also the one documenting the unique locality of Zlatá Baňa, where up to 173 different types of minerals were found. If you add fossils and prehistoric fossils to these points of interest, you will not want to leave the museum.

Enriched with new knowledge from the past, you can head out to meet adventure in the present. You will discover the infinite universe along with its mysteries in the Hvezdáreň a planetárium. After this activity, you will regenerate your mind and body in a salt cave. It has beneficial effects on your health. You can admire the beauty of artistic creation in the Krajská galéria v Prešove. If it is not too much for you and you thirst for further experiences, do not bypass the kalvária or some of the beautiful swimming pools in Prešov either.

Of course, after such an experience, it is good to rest in a soft bed. If you do not happen to have one at home and are open to new options, search for accomodation near Krajské múzeum - Rákocziho paláci closest to you. In the morning, it will be much easier for you to wake up to new days. Perhaps it will be cozy apartments, or you will choose private accommodation in Prešov. We will gladly help you with your choice.