Banka Educational Path

At the end of 2007, the village of Banka opened to public the Banka Educational Path constructed with help of the Village Development Fund. Its goal is to inform the wide public about the local natural environment values and make a contribution to increase the village attractiveness and tourism.
As this educational path is in the Piešťany closest distance, it can become a welcome destination for our spa town residents and visitors walks.      
Banka Educational Path winds through places that are interesting and valuable from point of view of history and nature. It has 4 information panels and two shelters in localities suitable for rest.  
The educational path starts at the Váh River left bank, at the entry to Spa Island from Colonnade Bridge. Its direction is identical with the yellow tourist path and it leads through Spa Island via Domin Alley to place by local name Obrázková hora (Picture Hill). This place with spring water is sought after for rest since long ago. There is a shelter and information panel No. 1 that informs visitors about Piešťany Spa history and present time.
Following the path marked yellow, we get to crossroads locally called Dubček; here, the forest path crosses the footpath leading to deforested meadow known as Ahoj. Information panel No. 2 describing how the Váh River formed the landscape over thousands years is placed here. Picturesque panorama from the south-west part of Považský Inovec Mountain Range offers to visitors possibilities for orientation by elevation marks. From information panel No. 2, we continue, still following the tourist path marked yellow, over short ridge and at the path’s end we leave it.  
We can get to red marked tourist path following the hollowed-out farm track that rises slightly to right; we get to Havran Mountain Pass if we turn right at the State Forests object. The third information panel with inscription “Fauna – animal kingdom” is located there. If we return to locality Dubček via left turning path, we get to deforested grassy hillside – Ahoj; it offers breathtaking view over the whole Small Carpathian Mountain Range - from Kamzík Hill towering above Bratislava up to Čachtice Hills. Before us, we have glistening protected area of the Sĺňava Water Reservoir. The panorama to village Banka, along with Piešťany and its surroundings, is beautiful too.         
At the bottom of a deforested hill, at the ski tow lower station, the educational path ends at the information panel No. 4 that bears inscription “Flora – plants kingdom”. After making the whole path distance, rest in a cosy shelter would do well to anyone.    
Another educational path – Považský Inovec – is to be added before summer. It should be focusing dominantly at the historical memorials located between towns Topoľčany and Piešťany. The Regional Development Agency Topoľčiansko is preparing it in cooperation with other organisations. The expert guarantor is the Slovak Science Academy Archaeological Institute in Nitra. The educational path should go from recreational centre Duchonka to Topoľčany Castle and from there, all the way to Piešťany with few stops. It would also be possible to make the path in the opposite direction from Piešťany. The individual information panels are to be placed in very interesting locations. After the Topoľčany Castle, it is going to be one of the most interesting archaeological finds in the last years, the Valy Castle ruins next to village of Bojná. The archaeologists have found there more than thousand items from Pribina Principality time (9th century AD). A climb would follow to Marhát Hill. After many beautiful vistas that would reward any hiker, the National Monument St. George’s Rotunda in village of Nitrianska Blatnica cadastre is to be the next stop. This rotunda is favourite place for pilgrims and hikers from east and west end of Považský Inovec Mountain Range. From other stops, let’s mention at last but not least the “Devil’s Furnace” that was settled already in the Old Stone Age. At the Mountain Pass Havran, the new educational path should join our already well known Banka Educational Path, and from there, we can walk down to Spa Island.