Stupava: Nature, Glassmaking History and Paths through the Chřiby Hills

Stupava combines the landscape of the Chřiby Hills with a remarkable glassmaking history and various opportunities for an active or culture-focused stay. The town lies in a valley along the Stupavka stream and in the heart of the Chřiby Hills.

Wooded Landscape and Stará Hráz Nature Reserve

The area around Stupava is characterized by densely wooded slopes and extensive forests. One specific natural attraction is Stará Hráz Nature Reserve, located approximately 1.5 kilometers southeast of Stupava in the Kyjovka valley and covering 7.8 hectares. The area includes hornbeam-oak forests and ash-alder floodplain forests on the right side of the valley and in the floodplain of the meandering Stupava stream (Kyjovka). These forest communities are considered characteristic of the Chřiby Hills.

Stupava is a good starting point for hikes and cycling trips. In the surrounding area, a green-marked hiking trail leads to the ruins of Cimburk Castle. The originally Gothic castle dates from 1327 and adds a historic destination to the wooded landscape. Those planning a trip with different ideas for each day can combine nature, activity and castle history here without reducing the character of the town to a single attraction.

Glassmaking Tradition and Culture in the Town

A particular emphasis lies on the local glassmaking history. Glass production in the glassworks ended after the floods of 1905. The Chřiby Glassmakers' Museum continues this tradition. It reopened in 2025 with a new exhibition. The exhibition “In the Footsteps of the Chřiby Glassmakers” is located in the cultural center of Stupava, giving the town its own cultural focus.

The church in Stupava is also part of the town's history; it was completed in 1859. Together with the museum, it creates an image of Stupava shaped not only by forests and paths, but also by craftsmanship, architectural history and the town's development. For families or travel groups with different interests, this combination can provide a meaningful basis for including active and cultural experiences side by side in their own travel plans.

Active Days and Regional Cycling Areas

The Stupava ski and leisure area has existed since 2001. Its name points to another recreational aspect of the town, without implying anything about current operations or individual offerings. The Chřiby Hills, the White Carpathians and the Lednice-Valtice Area are three notable cycling areas in the Slovácko region.

If you are looking for a hotel in Stupava, you can first decide whether the location should primarily serve as a starting point for hikes and cycling trips or as a base for discovering nature and culture. The documented destinations range from the nature reserve and the route to the ruins of Cimburk Castle to the glassmaking exhibition and the church in the town. Further destinations in the wider area can be found under Velehrad, Bojkovice, Bánov, Sušice, Medlovice, Hluk, Horní Němčí and Žítková.

For the broader travel overview: Uherské Hradiště District.