N 48.1381085
E 17.3232145
Park near the Art Hotel Kaštieľ Tomášov
Park near the Art Hotel Kaštieľ Tomášov
A wide english park surrounds the mansion on the outskirts of the village of Tomášov, only 20 km from the center of Bratislava. The Manor in Tomášov is one of the most representative Baroque aristocratic residences located in the area of southern Slovakia, it was built between 1776 and 1779 and since 2011 Art Hotel Kaštieľ has been located there.
Type:
historical park / garden
Facilities:
National cultural monument
Style:
English-landscape park
Region:
Bratislava
City/village:
Tomášov
Address/Location:
Art Hotel Kaštieľ, Majorháza 1, Tomášov 900 44
Altitude:
130 m a.s.l.
Area:
19 ha
Information boards
Disabled accessible
Car park
Toilets
Café
Available for photography
Open parks and gardens weekend
History
The park was founded during the construction of the manor in the years 1766 to 1769 and in its time it was the first English nature and landscape park in the territory of Upper Hungary. To this day, his solution can be read in the remains of alleys and snaking paths leading to green nooks and crannies. In the 18th century, it was supplemented by stone sculptures, garden pavilions, a greenhouse and various other attractions. The park is currently being continuously renewed with new trees while preserving its original character.
Description of the park
Fauna and flora of the park
Among the rare species of plants are dozens of scattered stands of European Black Pine (Pinus nigra) Scots Pine (Pinus silvestris), which supplement the original meadow forest creating the green belt around the manor.
These pine trees were planted here perhaps 150 years ago. The park historically since the 18th century was largely made up of domestic deciduous trees such as maple, oak, ash, linden and elm, but the original owners gradually replaced these with foreign species carried from distant lands during travels in both Europe and Asia.
A number of introduced species are also found in the park, such as the Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), which were used historically for planting along avenues. In the park, located in the meadow to the right of the courtyard, is a very rare Ginkgo tree (Gingko biloba), which is estimated to be 250 years old and whose trunk has a circumference of 280 cm. Few meters away from the Ginko tree there is original outdoor theatre, ideal for various music or scenic presentations.
A bit further along there is a roughly 100-year old Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides). The spacious park is home to three examples of Eastern Juniper (Juniperus virginiana), which are some 120 years old.
Among the other trees here we can find Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) and Elm (Ulmus laevis, Ulmus glabra).
Along the interior edge of the courtyard are 16 newly planted and trimmed yew trees in the shape of a cone which was originally here in the 19th century.
In the foreground of the manor, in front of the main staircase on the axis of the manor is a circular ornamental flowerbed with trimmed box-trees and summer flowers. This flowerbed was originally found here at the turn of the 20th century.
In the spring the park is sprinkled with a colorful carpet of flowers like the snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) blooming in white, the many-colored blooms of Corydalis (Corydalis cava), yellow-flowered species like the Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) and the Yellow-star (Gagea lutea), and purple blooms like lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis), grape-hyacinth (Scilla muscari) and violets (Viola).
The park is continuously being renewed with new wood species, while preserving its original character.
Since 2012, the English park has been enriched by a herd of fallow deers. The size of the herd has increased to 9 fallow deers from one male and two females in 2016.
Current use
The park is primarily intended for hotel visitors. They can use it for walks (also with strollers), running, playing golf, garden chess... The park is also used for picnics and organizing cultural and social events. The park also participates in the all-Slovak event Weekend of open parks and gardens.
Hotel visitors are offered the opportunity to plant a tree in the manor park in honor of a wedding, birthday, anniversary or other important occasion. The hotel staff will be happy to advise on the selection of the tree and the place to plant it.