SLOVAK NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF IHP UNESCO

INSTITUTE OF HYDROLOGY Slovak Academy of Sciences,

Bratislava, Slovakia

Organizing Committee: Pavla Pekárová Pavol Miklánek Marcel Garaj

Jakub Mészáros Veronika Bačová Mitková

Dana Halmová

Contact: Dr. Pavol Miklánek Dr. Pavla Pekárová

miklanek@uh.savba.sk pekarova@uh.savba.sk

telephone: +421(2) 3229 3505

+421(0) 910 259 404

Meeting of IHP UNESCO National Representatives Regional cooperation of the Danube countries

and

Working Group meeting project No. 9 Flood regime of the Danube River basin

October 29-31, 2018 time schedule: Monday, October, 29, 2018 - Arrival to Bratislava,

- Meeting point in Bratislava, Institute of Hydrology SAS, Dubravska cesta 9 - 13:00, 15:00 Transport by car from Bratislava to Smolenice Castle - 17:00 Registration and Accommodation in Smolenice Castle

- 19:00 Dinner

Tuesday, October, 30, 2018 - 7:00 – Breakfast - 10:00 – Project No. 9 Workshop

- 12:00 – 13:00 Lunch - 13:00 – excursion

- 15:00 - meeting of National Representatives - 18:00 - Dinner

Wednesday, October, 31, 2018 - 7:00 Breakfast

- 9:00 Transport by cars from Smolenice to Bratislava

Smolenice castle: The castle is above the village Smolenice in the eastern part of the Small Carpathian Mts. Originally it was medieval castle, which guarded the border of the Kingdom. The decay was complete during the Napoleon Wars – the main castle building and the tower had been burnt down. Construction of the Smolenice Castle of today had been started early in the 20th century by Jozef Palffy, the landlord of Smolenice and Dobra Voda estates. First work on the fortification walls started in 1887 already on the bastions. Bastions from the old castle were preserved. The castle is owned by the Slovak Academy of Sciences now, it is a representative place for meetings of scientists from worldwide. The castle is not open to the public, visit with the guide is possible only during the summer holiday (July – August).

Smolenice

First written documents about the existence of Smolenice date back to the 13th century, although its origin is as ancient as the Neo-Feudalism. Several aristocratic families had been the landlords there – for instance, in 1388 King Sigmund had issued a Deed of Donation to give Smolenice to Chieftain Ctibor of Ctiborice. In 1438, Count George from Pezinok and Svaty Jur became the new landlord there. Stefan Banic, the founder of the parachute, was born in Smolenice and he has been buried in his native town too. The home of scientists

The castle is above the village Smolenice in the east part of the Small Carpathian Mt. Originally it was medieval castle, which guarded the border of the Kingdom. The decay was complete during the Napoleon Wars – the main castle building and the tower had been burnt down.

Construction of the Smolenice Castle of today had been started early in the 20th century by Jozef Palffy, the landlord of Smolenice and Dobra Voda estates. First work on the fortification walls started in 1887 already on the bastions. Bastions from the old castle were preserved. Since 1953, the castle is owned by the Slovak Academy of Sciences now, it is a representative place for meetings of scientists from worldwide. The castle is not open to the public, visit with the guide is possible only during the summer holiday (July – August).

Adjacent English park, well included into mountain forest edge, offers numerous possibilities for walking. T

The Waterfall and the Celtic Settlement in the Small Carpathians Mountains The waterfall in the Small Carpathians Mountains really exists only in the spring, when ice is melting. That is why the waterfall is called the Occasional Waterfall.

The occasional waterfall is located at the end of the Dolina Hlboca Valley, which begins just above the village Smolenice. Follow a blue-marked path, which is a part of the instructive path of Smolenicky Kras Karst. At the end of the valley is also a small cave known as a Christian pilgrimage site.

Continue along with the blue-marked path until the Luka Vlciaren Meadow. Then turn right and take yellow mark. To see the valley from a bird perspective you have to take no signed path on your right. Below on left side is the Molpir Hill.

The yellow mark shows the path to the Smolenice Castle. The important archeological site Molpir is nearby. There are remains of the fortified Celtic settlement from the Hallstat period.

The Driny Stalactite Cave, only at 3 km distance from the castle, will certainly please the visitors. Cave spaces, with prevailing fissure corridors, are decorated with rich sinter fillings. Draperies with tooth-like edging, sinter waterfalls and inflows, pagoda-like stalagmites, stalactites and sinter pools are typical for this cave. The cave was discovered in 1930 and open to the public since 1935. Current show track is 410 m long. There live eleven species of bat.

Length of pathway: 450 meters Duration of the guided tour: 35 minutes Open for the public: 1.4. - 31.10. Closed: 1.11. - 31.3., on Mondays (According to the Slovak Cave Administration)