Zobor

Zobor is a 587 m hill rising directly above the city of Nitra in western Slovakia. It is the summit of the southernmost part of the Tribeč Mountains — the Zobor group, which juts like a triangle into the Danubian Lowland. That is why Zobor, though low, is visible from afar, and its slopes offer a wide view over Nitra, the Nitra river valley and the Danubian Hills. The hill is already mentioned in the Zobor Charters of the early 12th century as «de Zuburiensis». Vineyards grow on its southern slopes, and on the fore-summit called Pyramída (556 m) stands a 64 m reinforced-concrete television tower completed in 1993.

Getting there / trails

• Marked trails lead to Zobor straight from Nitra (starting at 167 m above sea level, i.e. over 400 m of ascent), from the Nitra borough of Dražovce and from the village of Žirany.
• The red Ponitrianska magistrála crosses the hill, and a green educational trail «Zobor hillfort» circles the summit.
• The Slovak branch of the Way of St James (stage Jelenec – Nitra) also passes nearby.

A chairlift once ran up Zobor from Nitra, but it stopped in 1994, fell into disrepair and has largely been dismantled. So today people walk up — a popular outing for locals and visitors alike.

History

Zobor is one of the most important historical sites in Slovakia. On the summit lies a prehistoric hillfort, probably used by the Slavs as a refuge in the 9th century; its ramparts have a perimeter of almost 3 km. On the south-eastern spur another Slavic hillfort arose at the end of the 8th century — under the foundations of an 11th-century church the remains of an even older church were found. Together with other hillforts they formed the core of 9th-century Great Moravian Nitra.

South-west of the summit a Benedictine monastery stood by the early 11th century, first mentioned in 1111 in the Zobor Charters; a school is mentioned there — the oldest documented school in Slovakia. The monastery may even have been founded in the 9th century. Later a Camaldolese monastery took its place. Saint Svorad is associated with the monastery, and the Svorad cave in Dražovce, now a natural monument, bears his name. Old photographs show the Millennium Monument that stood on the summit from 1896 to 1921.

Nature

The summit is occupied by the Zobor Forest-Steppe National Nature Reserve, declared as early as 1952 over 26 ha. It is a fine example of steppe-like grassland fringed by warmth-loving oak and oak-hornbeam woods; the landscape arose from ancient settlement and forest clearing for grazing. Rare thermophilous plants and animals survive here: dwarf iris, greater pasque flower, spring pheasant's eye and the Slovak pennycress, which occurs only in the Zobor hills, the Slovak Karst and adjacent parts of Hungary. The wider area belongs to the Ponitrie Protected Landscape Area and to Natura 2000.

Several springs rise on the slopes of Zobor: Svoradov prameň, Buganka, Šindolka and the springs on Martinská, Kláštorná and Pivonková streets.

Tips

Zobor is a low hill you can visit all year, but in summer the open steppe slopes get very hot: take water and a hat. In the reserve do not leave the paths or pick plants. In an emergency call 112.

Photos: Pistal, CC BY-SA 4.0; Pudelek (Marcin Szala), CC BY-SA 3.0; Geof, CC BY-SA 3.0; Igor Marhevský, Public domain; Divald K. Fia műintézet, CC BY-SA 2.5 — Wikimedia Commons.