The best MTB trails in Trnava

Today there is a great cafe in the old synagogue. You can sit either under the old vault or in one of the "booths" in the side aisles.

The Jewish communities in Europe, whose centuries-old tradition is often only evidenced by memorial plaques or monuments, have – especially in these difficult times with a strongly growing, openly expressed antisemitism – been honored by the awarding of the "International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen" to the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, and the Jewish communities in Europe. "In recognition of his outstanding work for peace, the self-determination of peoples and European values, for tolerance, pluralism and understanding, and in recognition of his significant commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue, the Directorate of the Society for the Awarding of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen in 2024 honors the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, and together with him the Jewish communities in Europe. With this award, the Charlemagne Prize Directorate wants to send the signal that Jewish life is naturally part of Europe and that there must be no place for antisemitism in Europe. Jewish life is an important part of European history and the present – now and in the future. (...) With the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, and the Jewish communities in Europe, the Directorate of the Society for the Awarding of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen in 2024 honors the outstanding representative of European Jewry and Jewish life in Europe, which has enriched our continent for centuries and will always have and must have its place here."

Trnava arose at the crossroads of old trade routes with evidence of settlement since prehistoric times. Finds from the Old Bronze Age and the Celtic period are particularly numerous. Today's town arose from a place that continued to develop even after the collapse of Great Moravia. In the 13th century, the Slavic settlement was repopulated by German settlers, whose share gradually decreased again as a result. The city was first mentioned in writing in 1211 (see below). The title of Royal Free City was granted in 1238 by the Hungarian King Béla IV. Due to more favorable trading conditions, the agricultural town developed into a center of trade and crafts. Its importance was further increased by the market right to hold eight large annual markets. In 1418 the city was conquered by the Hussites, who stayed here until 1425. After the Hungarian defeat at the Battle of Mohács in 1526 and the Ottoman occupation of Gran in 1543, the archbishop's headquarters and chapter were moved to Tyrnau and was the seat of the Archdiocese of Gran until 1820 (it was once again its own archdiocese from 1978). Thus the city became the ecclesiastical and cultural center of Ottoman-unoccupied Royal Hungary, which included modern-day Slovakia, Burgenland, western Hungary and Croatia, in contrast to Pressburg, which became the political center. In the long period of the Turkish wars, the city lost a large part of its inhabitants, on the other hand, many Hungarians were added.

As one of the few cities in Slovakia, Trnava has two well-preserved synagogues, both dating from the end of the 19th century. After the National Congress in Budapest in 1868, after three Jewish currents – Status quo ante, Neologism and Orthodoxy – had formed, a group of the Eastern Church also separated from the original religious community in Trnava in 1881, wanting to live according to original Jewish principles. In the burgher house at the intersection of Kapitulská and Haulíková streets, they founded their own school, and later a synagogue on a plot behind the house. The exact year of construction is not known, but it is already marked on the city map from 1895, so it must have existed by this year at the latest. It is built, just like the Status quo synagogue, in accordance with the regulations at the time, in the depth of the plot, at a sufficient distance from the street line. The Orthodox Synagogue, also called the "Small Synagogue" due to its small dimensions, is a west-east oriented hall building without towers, with women's galleries supported by cast-iron columns in its interior. In addition to these, some original historicized art-craft details and remnants of the original painting have been preserved. The continuity of the Jewish community's existence was interrupted by the rise of fascism in 1939. After World War II, the synagogue was preserved only briefly, and its original function faded at the beginning of the 1950s. Since then, it has been used for various utilitarian purposes, mainly storage, and for many years it fell into disrepair. At the beginning of the 1990s, the village restored the synagogue, and finally it was sold into private ownership. It underwent a complete reconstruction, and after decades it is accessible to the public again. The revitalization of the synagogue, even if not with its original function, but with new cultural and social utilization, is a relatively unique achievement in a peripheral area, like the renewal of Jewish architectural monuments in Slovakia.

The city tower is located in the center of the old town on Trinity Square. It was built in the 16th century (Renaissance style). When the weather is nice, you have a good view of the nearby small Carpathians.

A found place for church friends, because there are more than 1 dozen of them. But the visitor also likes the beautifully renovated city center.

Interesting old town of Trnava.

Beautiful historic old town with the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Lots of places to stop for a break and overnight.