Bošáca Boasts Another Tree of the Year! The Title Goes to an Old Pear Tree at the Foot of Lysica Hill

Over 14,000 tree enthusiasts cast their votes in the 22nd annual Tree of the Year 2024 survey. The winner was a Wild Pear Tree from Bošáca, securing its victory with 2,298 public votes. This spring, it will represent Slovakia in the European Tree of the Year competition.

Close behind the pear tree, with 2,265 votes, was a Weeping White Willow from Prievidza. The third place went to a Small-Leaved Lime Tree from Ordzovany, with 1,375 votes. Each of the top three trees will receive expert assessment and treatment worth €300. A total of 14,573 votes were cast. The results were announced on October 10, 2024, at the Slovenská Sporiteľňa headquarters in Bratislava.

Schools participating in the competition were also recognized this year. In the first category, where the number of votes cast by participating students determined the ranking, Spojená škola Novohradská from Bratislava took first place with 991 votes. Second place went to Základná škola Veľkomoravská from Trenčín with 778 votes, and students from Základná škola on Karpatská Street in Žilina secured a close third place with 744 votes. In total, more than twenty preschools, primary, and secondary schools from across Slovakia participated in the competition.

“In the second category, the number of participating students is not decisive; instead, we recognize student activities. This year, Spojená škola from Svit impressed us with a scavenger hunt that sparked their interest in the environment and connected it to learning about trees in their surroundings,” explains Martina Hromadová from the Ekopolis Foundation. The school will receive planting materials worth €150 for their school garden. The next two positions, awarded with small prizes for young participants, went to Základná škola from Štrba and Základná škola with kindergarten in Budmerice.

 

Ongoing Survey Activities

Thanks to collaboration with ISA Slovakia, the survey continues to ensure the care of not only the winning trees but also others nominated that did not make it to the finals. This year, two additional trees—a pear and a maple—will also receive expert care.

A traditional part of the survey is the public tree planting event. This year, it will take place in the village of Vištuk, where local volunteers are restoring a historic lime tree alley. Contributions from the survey will support maintaining this legacy for future generations.

The main partner of the survey is the Slovenská Sporiteľňa Foundation. Additional supporters include ISA Slovakia (International Society of Arboriculture), Dajama Publishing House, Artforum Bookstore, and ABIES Garden Center. The patron of the survey, for the eleventh year, is singer Peter Lipa. Tree photography for the survey was provided by Martin Babarík. The mission of the survey is to highlight old, rare, or endangered trees and inspire public interest in environmental protection.

 

Results of the Tree of the Year 2024 Survey:

Rank	Tree	Number of Votes
1.	Pear, Bošáca	2,298
2.	Willow, Prievidza	2,265
3.	Lime, Ordzovany	1,375
4.	Pear, Budmerice	1,356
5.	Lime, Horné Opatovce	1,27
6.	Oak, Bajč	1,191
7.	Sequoia, Rudno	996
8.	Ginkgo, Sládkovičovo	941
9.	Mulberry, Pezinok	875
10.	Oak, Pozba	695
11.	Poplar, Lipt. Mikuláš	690
12.	Rowan, Vyšné Valice	621

 

Stories of the Winning Trees

1st Place

Wild Pear Tree (Pyrus pyraster)

Tree Age: 150 years, Trunk Circumference: 195 cm, Height: 10 m

Bošáca – at the foot of Lysica, Nové Mesto nad Váhom District, Trenčín Region

GPS Coordinates: 48.834889640064276, 17.81724932607273

The Bošáca Pear Tree

A stray seed, carried by the wind or a bird from a nearby pear tree, took root on the sunny slopes of Lysica Hill, which towers above Bošáca. The Bošáca Valley is an exceptional place with a rich tradition of fruit growing, where robust pear seedlings are an inseparable part of the White Carpathians’ landscape, shaping its distinctive character. Tested by the years, battered by the wind, and caressed by the sun’s rays, the pear tree stands here like a queen. Its view is enviable, stretching from Inovec to Veľká Javorina, observing the daily life of villages and towns across the region. The area around the tree is a popular spot due to its weather conditions, attracting paragliding enthusiasts. Every year, it hosts competitions in flying historical model airplanes, and the pear tree serves as an important landmark with a flag is often placed at its peak.

 

2nd Place

Weeping White Willow (Salix alba L. sepulcralis)

Tree Age: 128 years, Trunk Circumference: 468 cm, Height: 20 m

Location: Prievidza – near the railway crossing, Prievidza District, Trenčín Region

GPS Coordinates: 48.773476179694875, 18.615860906999934

Tree of Life

The willow was reportedly planted by the first manager of the Prievidza railway station, Eugen Kiss, in 1896, the year the first train arrived in the town. It was planted along the banks of the Necpalský Stream on the outskirts of the town, near a pub known as “U Gregora.” The tree welcomed and bid farewell to trains and people traveling to and from the Upper Nitra region. It witnessed tragic accidents at the railway crossing, as well as joyful, intimate moments under the cascading veil of its long branches. The willow was not alone; several other willows once grew in the area. However, many have not survived to the present day—although this species is widespread, it is not particularly long-lived. This willow, never pruned or shaped, has managed to live for nearly 130 years. Unfortunately, last year it suffered significant damage when a strong wind broke one of its branches. Without proper care, the tree is likely to succumb to decay over time. It was nominated by individuals concerned about its future, hoping it can remain standing for as long as possible.

 

3rd Place

Small-Leaved Lime Tree (Tilia cordata)

Tree Age: 195 years, Trunk Circumference: 450 cm, Height: 22 m

Ordzovany – near the Chapel of St. Juliana Falconieri, Levoča District, Prešov Region

GPS Coordinates: 49.03733898661214, 20.789954021119375

The Linden of St. Juliana

The story of this linden is tied to the events of 1814–1816, when devastating storms with hail destroyed the entire harvest in the fields surrounding the village of Ordzovany. This happened three years in a row, always on the same date—June 19, the feast day of St. Juliana Falconieri in the church calendar. These events are recorded in the archives of the Spiš Chaper House. The calamities inspired a local farmer, Martin Kočiš Jurčovský, who, in 1829, built a chapel dedicated to St. Juliana at the edge of the fields and planted the linden nearby. The villagers interpreted these destructive events as a warning to refrain from working on that day and instead devote themselves to prayer and reflection. This tradition is maintained by current residents, and every year on June 19, a mass is held in the chapel beneath the linden. Following these events, the village also developed a tradition of naming girls Julia or Juliana. Everyone immediately knows where to go when someone says, “Let’s meet under the linden.”

 

Photographs and stories of all finalists can be found at www.ekopolis.sk.

Illustrative photographs of the winners and video nominations can be downloaded from this link.