Join us on a cross-country tour of the Košice Region and get to know the roads that formed the past of this region. The Wine Museum in Moldava nad Bodvou will draw your attention to the wine resources of the Abov Region. In the Guitar Museum, you will learn about the history of this popular instrument and its relation to the Košice Region. In the Kasigarda Museum, we will introduce you to the journeys from Zemplín to North America that our ancestors used to take. Finally, we will stop by the Salt House in Veľké Trakany where you will get a closer look at the arcane ways of salt.
Wine Museum in Moldava nad Bodvou
The Máté Laczkó Szepsi Wine Museum in Moldava nad Bodvou is a unique place that celebrates the long tradition of winemaking in the region. The Museum, named after the famous winemaker Máté Laczkó Szepsi, is a magnificent testimony to the history of viticulture, which has played an important role in the areas of Zemplín and Moldava nad Bodvou.
The Museum offers a large exposition that will introduce visitors not just to the history of winemaking itself, but also to the development of the various wine production technologies. It is set in a historic building and shows the development of both traditional and modern methods of wine making, including the old tools, barrels, and bottles used by our ancestors. Around 1631, the Moldava-born Máté Laczkó Szepsi prepared the first Tokaj grape pre-pressed must outflow for the Duchess Zuzana Lórántffy.
This short historical excursion proves that Moldava has a long tradition of trade. This is evidenced by the many cellars located beneath the historic centre of the town.
In addition to the permanent exhibitions, there are also various events, such as wine tastings, which allow visitors to enjoy wines from local vineyards and learn more about the many grape varieties that are typical of the area.
Kasigarda – Museum of Emigration from Slovakia to North America
The Museum of Emigration from Slovakia to North America – Kasigarda, located in the village of Pavlovce nad Uhom in the District of Trebišov, is a unique place displaying the important phenomenon of Slovak emigrants. The Museum, which opened in 2008, traces the story of the mass emigration of Slovaks to the United States and Canada, mainly in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The name of the Museum – Kasigarda – is a Slovak variant spelling of the English Castle Garden, the main gate of the immigration office in New York, through which every immigrant had to pass. ‘Kasigarda’ accurately reflects the phenomenon of emigration. Illiteracy, ignorance of the language, hardships, stresses, disappointments, but above all the hope that Kasigarda represented for many of our ancestors.
The Museum’s exposition contains a large collection of historical artefacts, documents, and personal objects, which will bring visitors closer to the life and experiences of Slovak emigrants. The items on display include period photographs, suitcases, clothing, tools, and various documents that testify to their daily lives before and after their departure for the New World. The Museum also focuses on the stories of families who left Slovakia in the hope of a better life and their adaptation to new conditions abroad.
The exhibited materials are accompanied by interactive elements that allow visitors to delve deeper into the history and understand the circumstances that led to the mass exodus of Slovaks to America. The Museum is also engaged in researching and documenting family stories, helping to preserve the legacy of these people for future generations.
In 2024, the Kasigarda Museum was expanded to include the Garden of Slovak-American Cultural Heritage, which houses a small observatory with a telescope, a barn with a repaired small tractor that represents the beginnings of this Museum. Visit this magical Museum and get to know its whole story.
Guitar Museum in Sobrance
The Guitar Museum in Sobrance is a unique and fascinating place that captures the long history of this musical instrument. Located in the picturesque town of Sobrance, in the Zemplín Region, the Museum offers visitors an insight into the development of guitar as an instrument, as well as its importance in music culture. That first museum in Sobrance in Eastern Slovakia was opened in 1996 by Janči Ferko, who was nicknamed ‘the guitar king’.
In honour of his memory, his son Imrich renovated the Museum over the years, expanded it, and doubled the number of exhibits. This makes the Museum the largest collection of these instruments today not just in Slovakia, but also one of the largest in Central Europe.
The Museum exhibition includes a wide collection of guitars from a variety of historical periods, as well as unique specimens that come from different parts of the world. The instruments on display include not just classical and electric guitars, but also acoustic instruments that illustrate the various techniques of their manufacture and use in music. As the collection continues to grow, visitors can discover new artefacts that bear witness to the evolution of this musical instrument.
The Museum is not just a place to admire the collections, but also an active centre for music education. Various concerts, workshops, and exhibitions are organised here, allowing the visitors to experience guitar music live and to learn more about the techniques of playing the instrument.
The Guitar Museum in Sobrance is an ideal place for anyone who loves music, especially guitars, and wants to learn about its history and cultural significance. It is a magnificent destination that is sure to reward any visitor, whether they are a beginner or an experienced guitar player.
Salt House in Veľké Trakany
The Salt House in Veľké Trakany is a historical and cultural gem of this village, but also of the Medzibodrožie area. The building of the former salt authority has been preserved on this site to this day. It is a late Baroque monument of the 18th century which underwent a comprehensive reconstruction in 2004-2005. It is now open to the general public. This interesting building has deep roots in the history of salt mining and processing, which has been very important for the region since the Middle Ages. The Salt House became an important centre for the trade in salt which was considered a very valuable and essential commodity at the time.
The Salt House was built on a site where there were springs of salt water, which made it easier to process the salt. This building served not just as a commercial centre, but also as a place where the salters received various services related to their daily work.
Today, the Salt House is being renovated and serves as a museum that brings visitors closer to the history of salt and its importance in people’s lives in the past. The exhibition in the Museum contains artefacts and documents that show how salt was mined, processed, and traded, as well as the role it played in the daily lives of the inhabitants of the region.
The Salt House in Veľké Trakany is thus not just a historical but also a tourist attraction that is worth a visit. It is an ideal place for those who are interested in the history, traditions, and culture of Eastern Slovakia. A visit to the Museum is possible after a personal booking and appointment.
