At the 18-hectare Nováky Reservoir, also known as Novácke jazero, activities along the shore range from walking and running to canoeing, cycling and fishing. In Nováky, these various waterside activities come together with churches, a Renaissance manor house and the memory of mining as other aspects of a stay. You can explore the town through these different themes: leisure at the reservoir, architectural history or the town’s development.
Nováky between the river, roads and railway
Nováky lies in the Upper Nitra Basin. The Nitra River flows through the western part of the town. Roads I/9 and I64 run through Nováky; railway line 140 from Nové Zámky to Prievidza also runs along the edge of the town. The river, roads and railway provide different points of reference for the town’s location. If you are considering travelling by train, include the current timetable in your plans.
The reservoir: recreational use and original purpose
Nováky Reservoir was built in the 1950s to cool the technical facilities of the Nováky Thermal Power Plant and regulate the flow of the Nitra. Its history therefore began with two specific technical purposes. Today, visitors use the shores for walking, running, canoeing, cycling and fishing. The Nováky Racing Canoe Club is also based at the reservoir. Recreational uses and original functions describe two different chapters in the life of this body of water: the technical facility of the 1950s and the activities visitors enjoy along its shores.
Churches, manor house and the memory of mining
The Church of St Nicholas is one of Nováky’s most important religious monuments. The present church building was constructed in the Classical style between 1700 and 1703 on the site of an older church. The date of construction, architectural style and site of the earlier church offer specific points of reference for the history of this building.
The Chapel of St Juliana offers a different architectural feature: it has a circular central plan and a dome. Historically, it served as a funerary chapel. At the Church of St Nicholas, the focus is on its construction date and Classical style; at the chapel, the plan, dome and former function stand out.
The Elekovská-Majtényiho manor house also connects architectural history with its designation as a monument. It was built in the Renaissance style at the beginning of the 16th century as a residence for the lesser nobility. Since 1963, it has been a national cultural monument and has been listed in the Central Register of Monuments of the Slovak Republic.
The Monument to the Miners of Nováky offers another historical perspective. It commemorates generations of miners whose work significantly shaped the town’s development. Nováky has also been home to a convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame since 1941. Together, these places and buildings represent different aspects of the town’s history: religious architecture, a Renaissance building and remembrance of work in the mining industry.
Wetlands and regional nature themes
The Novácko-Koš wetlands lie near Nováky, between Nováky and Prievidza and close to the Nitra and Handlovka rivers. They formed as a result of mining-related land subsidence; bodies of water and wetlands began to develop there around 1985. The groups found there include amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects and birds, as well as various plant species.
The reservoir and wetlands differ in how they formed: the reservoir was purpose-built in the 1950s to cool technical facilities and regulate the flow of the Nitra. By contrast, the wetlands developed as a result of mining-related land subsidence and bodies of water that formed from around 1985. This comparison connects the waterscape with mining history without treating the two places as identical.
As a regional highlight, the Vtáčnik Mountains, between Prievidza, Handlová, Nováky and Partizánske, offer opportunities for hiking and mountain biking. If you would like to include these activities in your stay, this regional perspective complements the town’s history and waterside themes with two more activities.
Discover more destinations: Handlová, Prievidza, Diviaky Nad Nitricou, Koš, Tužina, Nitrica, Valaská Belá, Lehota Pod Vtáčnikom.
Go to the main travel overview: Prievidza.
