Láb

Transcription

Láb is a village situated in the Nature Preserve of Záhorie in the valley of Moèiarky, 8km south of the town of Malacky. The community resides in the beautiful scenery of the land under the Pajštún castle the long-aged witness to the history of this place which even now enjoys its past as preserved through customs, and traditions. The back settlement of Láb falls in the Early Stone Age. The archaeological findings confirm the existence of an 8th century Slavic hamlet in this area and some others refer to the remains of both a settlement unit and a burial place set up here at the time of the Great Moravian Empire. The village called LOYP is then referred to in the document dated in 1206. Láb gradually evolved into a middle-sized commune, which in 1720 had its own flourmill. The villagers were mainly engaged in farming and trade, particularly in woodcarving and embroidery. In the 19th century the community set up a brick factory, a sawmill, a plant making rattan meshes, and had various shops at their disposal within the village boundaries. At present, the village centre is dominated by the building of the Municipal Office, also housing the medical centre, a pensioner club, a hairdresser 's and a florist 's, the post office, and a wedding hall. The fire department is seated in a newly build firehouse The volunteer firemen brigade affords fire protection for the village itself as well as its neighbourhood. They held an annual Tobiáš Ondroviè memorial race of fire fighters. In 1971 the village established a partnership with the Czech village of Ríèany u Brna. Shopping is available in several shops including a chemist 's, and a filling station. In 1947 they set up a kindergarten in Láb. The infants are now involved in several projects,such as Pro-Health School, Open School, English Language, and many others. The primary school moved in the present school building in 1972. There are now 110 pupils and 13 teachers. The school has taken part in several projects, such as Environmental Communication at Schools and Communes of the Lower Morava Region, Záhorie Climate Alliance, Health at Schools, Open School - Sports. The schoolyard is decorated with an art-piece made by Fine Arts students. Their woodcarving presented to the community is entitled Hríbik (Little Wild Mushroom). The local football playing field is in service to both the men 's and women 's football teams as well as to holding public ceremonies and festivities. In 2005 the community established a playground within the former schoolyard, which is good for the recreation of all children and adults in the nice and safe environment the ground provides. This recreation area is closely related to the children 's centre called Slnieèko (Little Sun) attending to the convenience of the local Mums and their kids to get together. The parish of Láb has existed since the 17th century, and employed several outstanding priests in the past. The tablet placed on the front of the parish building is to commemorate one of them, Ignác Juraèka, a 19th century nation 's awakener, a great and faithful Slovak working here as a parish priest for the whole of 50 years. Ignác Juraèka, and other less or more outstanding ancestors of the locals rest in peace in the local cemetery. The graveyard containing a house of mourning is embellished with some interesting woodwork monuments, saints ' sculptures, wood-carved crosses made at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. As a token of their great reverence to the patron of cattle herds, the locals built St Vendel 's Chapel in 1755 to landmark the main road going towards the village of Jakubov. The population of the commune is 1400. Some of the residents still dwell in the traditional family houses many being rebuilt. In rebuilding old houses, the present owners often make sure that the original architectural styles set by their predecessors retain. Nevertheless, many brand new houses are built. The central area of the village is dominated by the World War I Memorial, which can be found near the church. The memorial was erected to commemorate the horror, weeping, and despair of the WWI years. Out of the 70 Láb men recruited then, 25 had never returned. The vicinity of the memorial encompasses a neat park with the Milan Rastislav Štefánik's statue inside, which was inaugurated in 1990. Another statue is erected close to the park. It is made of sandstone and is to honour St. Florian, the guardian of the fire fighters At the village end, in the direction of Zohor is a place where St. Jan Nepomucky 's statue can be found. The statue was carved in sandstone in 1732, and bears the Pálfi 's coat of arms, as that of the then landlord. Láb enjoys having profuse deposits of natural gas, crude oil, and other hydrocarbon derivates. The Láb supply complex is built on the basis of the mined-out natural gas fields. The complex makes use of the state-of-the-art technology, and is to serve as a back-up for the gas supply failures as they may occur either daily, or seasonally, or yearly. The gas is found in small pores made by grains of sand or sandstone, or in the fine cracks. The boreholes are spread out throughout the village outside territory. The community does protect its enviroment. They have built a wastewater treatment plant, and a sewerage system is under construction. Waste is being sorted out by type. Láb is a member of the Climate Alliance. The pure water of the local brooks which are full of animals, and the white storks which nest right in the midst of the village centre all prove how clean the environment about Láb is. The pinewoods within the village boundaries are part of the Nature Preserve of Záhorie. In this peaceful place you can rest and get recharged, or you can easily fill a basket to the brim with the mushrooms you will collect themselves. The nice walk through the fields and woods will take you from Láb to the lake Pieskovna (Sand Pit) belonging to both Láb and Plavecký Štvrtok zones. The lake developed from the former pit after the sand sediments were all mined out. Now it serves well as a recreation area cooling down the vacationers when the summer days are scorching hot. The sandy beach and small slope of the waterside is a perfect fit for little children to play. Lake will also please fishermen, and cottagers The romantic souls can then succumb to sinking in the deep sand, breathing in the smell of the pines, and gazing enraptures at the sunset rays when reflecting against the waterline. The village has another lake within its boundaries. It is called Lábske jazero (Lab Lake), and it is 1 km long and 40-100 m wide. This water body used to be a dead stream branch of the brook Malina (Raspberry). The lakebed is made of sand. The surroundings are attractive for all cottagers and fishermen. Lábske jazero lies near the cycling lane called ''Nature Trail through the Morava Flat''. The third lake coming in part under the Láb domain is called Centnúz and it used to be a dried arm of the Morava River. The 125 km long red-signed cycling route called Záhorie Cycling Artery goes right through Láb. The route runs through Záhorie connecting Senica and Devín. Another cycling route found in the vicinity of Láb is the 95 km long green-signed Morava Cycling Route running along the Morava River starting in Bratislava and ending in Moravský Svätý Ján. After a day spent cycling and exploring the beautiful landscape, your body will need to rest and get refreshed. This area provides several catering facilities to choose from, and even some private accommodation. The community of Láb keeps the following traditions, and customs so that they can have fun throughout the year: the Carnival season culminates in a loony masquerade held on the day before Ash Wednesday to celebrate the end of winter the erection of May poles, which are even 20 m high, falls on April 30 evening the day called Lábsky den dziní refers to a traditional autumn feast when pumpkins are carved, and the crops are displayed St Nicolas Day comes in December when St Nicolas and a live nativity scene open up the pre-Christmas trade. The commune is proud of its All Saint's Church, the listed cultural landmark dominating the village. The church lighting at night makes the village centre look unique and charming. The church was built in 1561, then in 1722-1728 it was rebuilt and extended to assume the Baroque-Rococo appearance, and now it is under reconstruction. A two-manual organ made in 1938 seems to be the governing element of the interesting interior of this church. The organ is housed in a rare ornate Baroque organ-case made in 1787. The Corpus Christi mass held annually in June is a nice occasion to show up wearing the Láb costume - the pride of the community decorated in white, pale blue and other pastel tints, laden with all embroidery, Iaces, and ribbons. The liturgical procession is made up of the ministrants carrying the cross, youngsters wearing costumes and carrying liturgical flags firemen dressed up in their ceremonial uniforms, a ministrant walking with an incense burner in his hands, the priest carrying the Host in the monstrance under a baldachin, men carrying lamps, young people in their national costumes spreading about flower petals, young girls in costumes carrying Madonna 's statue, and other worshippers. The procession proceeds from the church through the village to get to the four little altars they have in the village facing all four cardinal points. At the time of the ceremony the altars are embellished with flowers, and green, and the holy pictures. Láb is opening wide its doors and heart calling upon you: "Get away from the hectic world outside. Enter this peaceful place. Let pure nature fill your souls with joy." For any further information on Láb, refer to the publication entitled ''Nová kniha o Lábe'' (''New Book on Lab'') which focuses on the village history. The topical issues and the present life of the commune are being updated on the web respective site and in the newspaper called ''Lábske noviny'' (The Lab News). One of the local folk song sings: ''Lábe, Lábe, pjekná dzedzinko...'' (''Lab, Lab, what a nice hamlet...'') Come and see with your own eyes what is true about the song Stay an hour or two or even a couple of days....