Senné - Rieka Uh - Vysoká nad Uhom - Pavlovce nad Uhom - Senné
You can start the route, for example, in Pavlovce nad Uhom near the church and the municipal office, where there is a large parking lot, or - as in our case – near the manor house in Senné.
A bird orchestra will accompany you on a relaxing bike ride through meadows, field roads, and peaceful village environs. Relax in the saddle of your bike and enjoy a leisurely trip on two wheels. The manor house in Senné and its impressive surroundings will be your gateway to the protected bird area.
ROUTE:
You can take a short walk near the Senné manor house and before the start of the tour follow the bird paradise nature trail - along the Senné ponds to the Ostrovík lookout tower. The tour then starts at the manor house, from where you will go alongside the church in a straight line. Cross the bridge over the Black Water and continue straight on after the bridge. You will follow the concrete road through the fields for several kilometres. You will go straight through the village of Vysoká nad Uhom until you reach the village of Pavlovce nad Uhom. In Pavlovce, at the junction with the main road, first turn left. After a few metres you will come to the St. John the Baptist Church, next to which there is a park. Then turn back and continue straight along the main road. Turn right before entering the village of Stretava, opposite the football field, onto the field road alongside Čierna Voda. After a few kilometres, this road will lead you to a bridge which you will cross to the village of Senné and the manor house.
Route description
Senné Manor House, a national cultural heritage site, was built in the 16th century by the Dobó family as a manor house. It was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 17th century. The noble families of Vécsey and Sztáray used it as a farmstead and hunting manor for the famous bird shooting. The surrounding area is still abundant in birdlife, fishes, and preserved plants. The Senné manor house is not only the gateway to the Senné Ponds Protected Bird Area, but as an architectural heritage site it is one of the oldest and the last of its kind in the Lower Zemplín region.
The "Bird Paradise" – a nesting and resting place for birds during migration – is located between the villages of Senné and Iňačovce on a geological lowland, the so-called Senné Marsh, at an altitude of 100 – 104 metres and on an area of 1,490 hectares. The Senné Ponds, whose water surface covers 700 hectares of the Senné Marsh, are a national nature preserve, one of the most significant ornithological sites in Central Europe. Due to their scientific and conservation importance, the Senné Ponds have acquired international reputation and therefore attract nature enthusiasts and ornithologists not only from all over Slovakia, but also from Europe. Systematic observation has revealed the presence of up to 160 species of waterfowl and birds living by water. Many different species of wild ducks, geese, grebes, gulls, terns, plovers, herons, and many other birds can be seen with the naked eye. Apart from birds, other animals, such as the muskrat, polecat, and razorbill, have also found conditions for life on the ponds. The uniqueness of the flora does not lag either. 291 species of plants have been identified during research, 22 of which are endangered, rare, or vulnerable. Sports and recreational fishing enthusiasts will also enjoy the ponds. The main species of fish kept here are carp, grass carp, catfish, pike, and others. There are nature trails running through the site for a total length of almost 17 km. There are several lookout towers and observation towers. The fifth, most stringent type of protection, applies in this area.
The Uh River has its source in Ukraine in the Eastern Carpathians. It is a left-side tributary of the Laborec River and has a total length of 127 km, of which only 21.3 km are in Slovakia. However, the entire length of the river is navigable on Slovak territory. The Uh is a typical lowland river in our territory. It deposits massive deposits of fluvial deposits and forms numerous dead branches. Near the Uh, near the villages of Pavlovce nad Uh and Stretava, natural gas is extracted.
Vysoká nad Uhom is the birthplace of Anna Kolesárová, a Christian martyr of purity. Numerous meetings and activities are regularly organised here, such as pilgrim Saturdays, pilgrimages of joy, pilgrimages of maturity, pilgrimages of families and spiritual renewal in the local Pastoral Centre.
The park with an area of about 14 hectares was founded in the mid-19th century and, together with the manor house, it is now registered as a national cultural heritage site. A massive 199-year-old black walnut tree grows in the former manor park. The tree is one of two specimens planted by Count Barkóci in the mid-19th century. Only the manor's riding hall has remained standing until these days.
