Holiday apartment in Podbranc: castles, nature trails and natural landscapes

The Starý hrad–Branč nature trail begins at Branč Castle and leads towards the cemetery and Starý hrad. The route takes approximately 40 minutes and is classified as easy. A hike in the surroundings of Podbranč begins in the square in front of the municipal office in Podbranč, is approximately 7 kilometres long and takes about 2 to 2.5 hours without breaks.

Paths and activities

For longer connections, the Viktora Beniaka Trail is available. It leads through Podbranč–Majer and Podbranč–Dolná Dolina onwards to Branč Castle. The Viktora Beniaka Trail also runs from Senica via the Kunovská Reservoir to Podbranč; since 1999, it has been held as a tradition in November. The surroundings of Podbranč are considered suitable for cycling.

Branč Castle can be reached by car as far as a car park below the castle. From there, it is approximately 100 metres on foot, and from Podbranč approximately a five-minute walk. The different route lengths and courses thus range from the short nature trail to the longer hike in the surrounding area.

Culture and history

Starý hrad is one of the oldest hillforts in the Záhorie region. In Podbranč, Starý hrad is located directly next to the medieval ruins of Branč Castle. The prehistoric settlement of Starý hrad near Branč was already inhabited more than 5,000 years ago. Branč Castle itself also dates back a long way: it was built in the second half of the 13th century and formed part of a network of border castles protecting the routes from Moravia to the Danube Lowland.

Local history also includes Pagáč’s preserved original mill in Podbranč and a collection of historic agricultural machinery belonging to Ing. Dušan Praženka. Both testimonies supplement the history of the castles and settlements with insights into earlier work and regional everyday culture.

Landscape and nature

The Brančské bradlá area near Podbranč is characterised by a pronounced, erosion-shaped relief with distinctive elevations and rocky outcrops. This relief differs from the rest of the Myjava Hills. In good weather, the view from Podbranč extends across the Little Carpathians, the Záhorie Lowland, the Myjava Hills and the Chvojnica Valley.

The Myjava is designated as a natural monument. The larger southern section of the Rieka Myjava natural monument below Podbranč is also part of the Horný tok Myjavy European protected area within the Natura 2000 network.

Regional speciality

There is a home distillery for slivovitz in the settlement of Varsíkovci. Tastings are available there, and bottles are also offered for purchase.

Other local pages

For further navigation, you can visit these local pages: Jablonica, Hradište Pod Vrátnom, Senitz, Sobotište, Smolinské, Osuské, Lakšárska Nová Ves, Smrdáky.

For the higher-level travel overview: Senica.