The town of Modra is located on south slopes of Little Carpathian Mountains. The first signs of settlement of this area date back to 3 thousand years B.C.. The beginnings of permanent settlement of this area in the 9 th century has been confirmed by well-preserved walls of the castle on Zamčisko in Modra-Harmonia, as well as the discovery of the burial-ground in the north-east of the town. The first written notice of Modra town dates back to the 12 th and 13 th century. Modra received a privilege of servile Royal Town by Hungarian monarch Ludovit I. in the year 1361. Modra has got more rights and freedom by the privilege of Maximilian II from the year 1569. The monarch Rudolph II promoted Modra to a Free Royal Town in the year 1607 and he has also conferred to the town its own coat-of-arms. Between the years 1610-1646 the town has built its own fortification with three gateways. Some parts of the fortification as well as gateway called Upper Gate (“Horna Brana”) are preserved up to the present. Modra has belonged between the most important towns in Hungary during the 17 th century, with a developed viniculture, forest management, guild system, educational system and culture. Many historical and cultural sights are situated in the town area. The Church of St.Stephan King with the town tower at the square, Town Hall, where the museum of Ľudovít Štúr is situated, Lutheran churches on Dolna Street. The main square has kept the original appearance with the typical single-floor bourgeois houses and houses of the winegrowers.

Pour the Modra’s good one!“ These words can be often heard not only in Modra’s wine cellars, but also anywhere in Slovakia and in abroad. The grapevine is growing on the sunny surrounding slopes of Little Carpathian since time immemorial. The earnings from wine selling were the basis of Modra’s economy since 14 th century. All of the houses, either the bourgeois houses or the houses of the winegrowers had the wine cellar full of wine-cask with golden vintage. Many Modra’s residents change the grapes from the vineyard into a tasty wine. If you would like to taste it, you can ring the bell by any house. Of course there are many smaller and larger producers and sellers of wine in Modra; some of them have awards from international wine tasting festivals. All winegrowers and vintners celebrate every other year the third week of September their hard work and harvest from the vineyards at the Little Carpathian Wine-Festival. The Modra’s Club of wine-growers, vintners, friends and wine experts called “Vincur” prepares every year events like St. Cathrine’s tasting of new wines, Vitis Aurea (Wine contest), The day of open wine-cellars…