Vineyards in Pukanec, Sitno peak in the background.

• Location
  
• Geology
  
• Flora
  
• Vine and wine
  
• Mushrooms
• Fauna

Former free royal and mining town of Pukanec lies on the root of the southeast slopes of the Štiavnické Mts., in the northern part of the Bátovská fold. It is surrounded by Priesil peak (747m), Agraš peak (734m), Tatiar peak (734m), Veterník peak (757m) and Vtáčnik peak (727m) in the west and north, by Jabloňovský Roháč peak (558m), Bohunický Roháč peak (558m) and Plesk peak (441m) in the east. Pukanec's location and the orientation of the slopes determine its warm, mild humid climate with mild winters. Summer lasts approximately 50 days (with the temperature above 25° C), the average annual temperature is 9° C. Occasionally the temperature falls below -20° C. The maximal summer temperatures exceed 30° C. Strong winds are rare. Snow cover lasts 75 days in average; the best conditions are in February (8 to 12mm). Uhliská village with its height of 625m above sea level offers good conditions for skiing as well.

The Bátovská fold is reclaimed by the river Sikenica which rises at the foot of Vysoká peak. It is 50 meters long and thus it is the longest tributary of the river Hron. At the upper reach the Uhlinský stream, the Majzíbeľský stream, the Hampoch stream, the Starý jarok stream and the Myšpotok stream join the Sikenica, another tributary represents the Jabloňovka stream on which there is a water reservoir built. Another reservoir is the Štamposký pond built in the 18th century for mining purposes. Other smaller basins used for irrigation are on the Hamposký stream near Bohunice and on the Myšpotok stream near Devičany. However, Pukanec's surroundings are not rich in subterranean waters. Drinking water is obtained from different springs as well as from former mining works: Sarkander (Paulištólňa), Paul (Under the maple), Ann (Kiebes) and Georg (Ergištólňa). Other sources of mineral water are Barča spring or Kasňa spring. Nearest thermal swimming pools are in Sklené Teplice, Santovka, Dudince or Vyhne.

Geology

The Štiavnické Mts. are of volcanic origin: during the orogenic process in the Tertiary andesites, liparites and basalts erupted into. As the volcanic activity proceeded, gold and silver ore veins rose. Mining in Pukanec flourished since the 15th century, however, it ceased four centuries later for unprofitability. Besides ore mining, Pukanec's surroundings are famous for potter's clay of a high quality.

Flora

Spring of black mullberry tree with ripening fruits.

Pukanec lies on the verge of the thermophilic Pannonia flora; the location and the orientation of slopes caused that thermophilic flora and mountain flora grow there: a mountain ash, a black oak, a maple tree and a Cornelian cherry or a white fir. From protected plants a martagon lily, a pasqueflower, a periwinkle, a lady's slipper, a sword lily or a lady orchid could be mentioned. Several oaks, growing in the Kiebes district, have 50 to 120 cm in diameter. Hospitable climate enables to grow all kinds of fruit trees: an apricot tree, a chestnut, an almond tree, a quince, a peach tree, a mulberry tree, a vine, an apple tree, a pear tree or a plum tree.

Undoubtedly, the black mulberry tree represents the most precious fruit tree in Pukanec. Today there are more then 500 trees capable of having fruit. As a rule, they are over 200 years old. As this is the biggest location of these trees in Slovakia, it was declared a protected natural work "Black mulberry trees of Pukanec". Their fruit is bitter sweet with a typical smell. Its nickname amongst the local inhabitants is "sour strawberries" or "vineyard strawberries". Since mulberry trees have extremely hard wood, they have no pests.

As far as the gardening is concerned, Pukanec became famous for a delicious onion (in the past the inhabitants were even called "the onion men"). They had a special recipe how to grow this vegetable: they simply replanted it several times.

Vine and wine

Vintage at Bahnas'.

The tradition of winegrowing in Pukanec is more than a hundred years old. This is proved by the name of Vajrab hill, since "Vajrab" comes from slurred German "Wienrabe" (vine). The German miners used to refer to a vein "Weinrebner" located inside of this hill. Vine is grown also in town districts Lajtňa and Nad mestom. Pukanec is a real heaven for all wine lovers with its wide spectrum of delicious white wines (from varieties Feteascá Regalá, Műller Thurgau, Riesling, White Pinot, Gruner Veltliner) and red wines (from Gamay or Saint Laurent).

The secret of the high quality and richness of Pukanec's wines lies in their storage: wine cellars called ľochy were sunk by the local miners more than a hundred years ago. They are either one or two storey rooms of different size and depth. The biggest cellars are more than 20m long and 3m high, in some cases with side corridors.

Mushrooms

Thanks to favourable conditions, the Pukanec's surroundings are rich in various kinds of mashrooms: Boletus aestivalis, Boletus aereus, Boletus regius, Boletus edulis, all kinds of Leccinum, Lactarius, Russula, Macrolepiota and many others.

Fauna

The world of nature of Pukanec and its surroundings is very rich: there live dozens kinds of insect such as a stag beetle, a ground beetle, a longicorn beetle, a bumble-bee, different kinds of butterflies and night moths, a grasshopper, a cicada. The reptile world is represented by a grass snake, a blind worm or a lizard. The amphibians are rare since they depend on, still decreasing, surface waters. In swamps live a salamander or a grass frog, on trees a tree frog, a toad hides in the shadow under the stones.

In Pukanec and surroundings live different kinds of birds: a hawk, a buzzard, a falcon, a litte owl, a woodpecker, a green woodpecker. From mammals a dormouse, a badger or a wild cat could be mentioned, from crustaceans a crayfish living in the Sikenica.