Zilina Self-Governing region

Address
Úrad Žilinského samosprávneho kraja
Krajská organizáciu cestovného ruchu v Žiline
Komenského 48
011 09 Žilina
Tel: +421 41 503 23 56

Location and nature

Žilina region with the area of 6 801 km² lies on the north-western and northern part of Slovakia, it has borders with the Czech Republic and with Poland. It includes the territory of historical regions of Horné Považie, Orava, Liptov, Kysuce and Turiec. The character of the whole region is significantly effected by the river Váh with its inflows Kysuca, Orava and Turiec.

The water flows have modelled wide valleys with fertile land in this mountainous area; after all, agriculture, forestry and timber processing have belonged to the main activities of the inhabitants of this area for hundreds of years. Žilina region offers to its present visitors, except a number of traditional targets, mainly beautiful, virgin nature and mountain-chains with a number of resorts of summer and winter tourism – among them are Javorníky, Beskydy, Strážovské hills, Small Fatra, Big Fatra, Western Tatras and Low Tatras.

Places of Interest

Žilina – regional town with historical centre, the charasteristic feature of which is the preserved original medieval ground-plan. The Mariánske square with preserved subhalls – locally called „laubne“, is unique in Slovakia.

Bytča – a town that recorded the biggest boom in times, when it belonged to the family of Ugrian palatines, the Thurzos. The wedding palace belongs among the jewels of the European Renaissance architecture. In Bytča, also the bandit carrier of Juraj Jánošík has begun and it was here, where the empress Báthory had the court sittings.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Historical, cultural and sacral relics

Budatín Castle – the former water castle is located in Budatín, the suburban district of city Žilina, at the confluence of the Váh und Kysuca Rivers. Today it is the home of the branch of Považské Museums and Galleries with a spectacular exhibition, dedicated to the tinker trade. A pleasant walk in the castle, games on the grass or pleasant afternoon relax are ideal leisure activities. The castle is currently closed due to reconstruction. Its park is a National Cultural Monument and considered to be the most beautiful park in Žilina.

Orava Castle – National Cultural Monument. When anyone pronounces the word “castle”, everyone imagines just the Orava Castle. The extensive, well-preserved castle complex with lots of towers, terraces, bastions, passageways and staircases stands on a more than 100 m high limestone rock. It is visited by almost 200 thousand tourists each year, they can visit exposures divided into historical, ethnographic and natural science section. The castle is a favorite subject of filmmakers; there were made a number of tales, adventure series, and even horror.

Dolný Kubín, Castle Mokraď - city district Mokraď – originally Renaissance manor house with a distinctive mansard roof from the late 16th century. The two-storey building has on the south two cylindrical towers with onion roofs and roof lanterns. The manor house serves for scouts.

Horná Lehota, Renaissance castle – was probably built in the first half of the 17th century in the Renaissance style. Rectangular building beautifies the foursome of corner oriel windows with conical roof.

Vyšný Kubín, Renaissance castle – built in the middle of the17th century. The residence consists of a ground floor manor-house with corner towers culminating bulbous roof, a ground floor administrator’s house and a two-storey towers connecting these two buildings. The manor house was later modified in Classicist style, as evidenced by the significant tympanum with blazon on the east side.

Vyšný Kubín, Baroque castle – built in the middle of the18th century, later architectural rebuilt. Story building has on entrance sector an avant-corps with open arcades finished with ornamented shield. The building is characterized by a significant façade articulation.

Castle Strečno – rises on the left bank of the river Váh. It is accessible from the village Strečno either by steeper stairs, or simply detour. Novelty is a medieval village Paseka, a relaxation area, built according to the original medieval buildings. There are 5 houses with thatched roofs, playground and a small amphitheater for cultural events  and handicrafts demonstration.

Wedding Palace in Bytča – it is a part of the castle area and belongs to the most important Renaissance monuments in Central Europe.

Likava – the largest castle complex in Slovakia. Below the castle are held Castle Festivals, the permanent exhibition of the castle´s history can be visited in the Hunyady bastion.

Slovak Bethlehem in Rajecká Lesná – a unique wooden Christmas crib – the largest wooden carving in the world.  

UNESCO sights

The wooden churches located in Tvrdošín and Leštiny are listed on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 2008.

Tvrdošín – the All Saints Roman Catholic Church from the second half of the 15th century, rebuilt in Renaissance style in the 17th century. From outside it is surrounded by a wall with a Baroque portal and two circular ossuaries. Inside you can find a Baroque altar from the late 17th century, Renaissance pulpit with figures of the Evangelists, Apostles paintings and other valuable paintings.

Lestiny – the articled Evangelical church was built in years 1688-1689, it has been preserved unchanged in its authentic natural environment until the present day. Services are still being held here. The church interior is richly decorated with an outstanding variety of colours, shapes and motives. There is a Baroque altar with wood carvings, floral wall paintings from the 17th century and richly decorated pulpit from the early 18th century.

Vlkolínec – a unique urbanistic unit of original folk buildings lies on the foothill of Big Fatra and it is part of the town of Ružomberok. Since 1993, it has been listed among UNESCO sights.

Industrial heritage

Kysucká historic forest narrow-gauge railway – a curiosity, which is visited by lovers of railways from all over the world, a technical attraction but also a national cultural memory – this all is valid for a 5 km long route of this old forest narrowgauge railway, which, in the distance of approx. 1 500 m of bee-line, crosses, with the help of five caputiums, a difference in altitude of 217,69 m. This old forest railway intertwines the Kysuce open-air museum and scrambles up to the Beskydy saddleback.

Oravská forest railway in Oravska Lesna – forest narrow-gauge railway that was built during the First World War, later connected with Kysucká forest railway, today the route between Tanečník and Beskydy saddleback is renewed.

Slovak Astronomical Clock Stará Bystrica

Folk architecture

Museum of Slovak village in Martin – the largest Slovak museum of folk architecture in nature is located in a forest area of Jahodnícke woods. On the territory of 28 ha are located more than a hundred of objects.

Museum of Liptov village in Pribylina – an open-air museum, reminding you of a small medieval town with exposition of former Považská forest railway, which, since the beginning of the 20th century connected Liptovský Hrádok with the valleys of Black Váh.

Kelt village in Havránok – an archaeological open-air museum on the northern side of Liptovská Mara, a reconstructed part of ancient settlement with farm buildings dating back to years 300 to 100 B.C.

Museum of Kysucká village in Nová Bystrica – Skansen Vychylovka  -an open-air museum in wooded valley Chmúra, the majority of the objects comes from the villages Riečnica and Harvelka that were displaced due to construction of Nová Bystrica dam.

Orava Village Museum, Zuberec-Brestová – the open-air museum is located in beautiful natural surroundings at the foot of Roháče Mountains. More than 50 buildings of folk architecture document the life of the Orava people – farmers, tradesmen and shepherds. There are also technical and religious monuments in the complex. Themed events, markets and folk performances are periodically held here.

Buildings of folk architecture in Čičmany

Exposition Jánošík and Terchová

Natural attraction

Small Fatra – with 230 marked tourist paths and significant resort of summer and winter tourism in Vrátna valley, it belongs among the most beautiful and most visited mountains in Slovakia.

Súľovské rocks – one of the oldest natural reservations in Slovakia is located between Považská Bystrica and Žilina. Narrow, very well marked paths, usually walkable also for less skilled visitors intertwine through this fabulous region of rocky massives, towers, needles, hummocks, thrustoutliers and gates.

Oravská dam and Slanický island – the dam reservoir with the acreage of 35 km² lies on the majority of the territory of Oravská hollow basin. The Slanica settlement was one of the flooded villages, the first codificator of the Slovak language, A.Bernolák, was born here. The uphill with the former church rises from the dam surface today as the Slanický island of art.

Liptovská Mara – water reservoir that was built on the river Váh as a means of protection against floods between 1970 to 1975, with its territory of 21,6 km² it is the largest water reservoir in Slovakia.

Demänovská ice cave – it was one of the first known caves in the world, however, despite the first report from 1299, it was opened only in the 80s of the 19th century. The first part of the visit leads you through cave premises with classic sinter decoration, the second part will lead you to cold kingdom with ice stalactics and waterfalls.

Demänovská cave of freedom – it lies in the same valley as the Demänovská ice cave; this cave system with more than 35 km of corridors is, from the underground premises discovered so far, the longest in Slovakia. The Big Dome, which is the biggest underground premise in Slovakia made available to the public with its length of 65 metres and width of 112 m definitely deserves your attention.

Važecká cave – the underground premises have modelled sinking waters of White Váh. In the deposits of the corridor called Kostnica bonesof ice bears, one of the biggest extinct beasts, were found. When walking in the cave, you can observe the skeleton, statute of this animal, but also a stable exposition with a collection of bear bones, teeth, clutches and skulls.

Recreation, medical and sport tourism

Termal swimming pools and water parks

Aquapark Tatralandia – the largest Slovak water paradise, located on the edge of High Tatras Mountains, on the northern shore of Liptovská Mara lake. To the water park belongs a rope park Tarzania and the Western city Siklov mlyn.

Aquapark Aqua Relax in Dolný Kubín – visitors can use a swimming pool, relaxation pool, water slides, wild river, rocking bay, water showers, whirlpools, heated benches, bubblers, slides, children's pool and sauna. Additional services: fitness, snack bars, restaurants and a spa-rehabilitation centre. Outdoor "FunPark" provides a pool, playground, pedal cars for kids, rope park and a climbing wall. By virtue of friendly approach to all ages the water park became "Family Friendly" title.

Gino Paradise Bešeňová – for perfect regeneration you can use year round opened 8 outdoor swimming pools with thermal water of 27°C - 39°C and 3 stainless heated indoor pools. The water park is built on the hot thermal spring with temperature of 60,5°C. The thermal water has beneficial effects on the kinetic and breathing systems, urologic problems and has favorable cosmetic effects.

Meander Park Oravice - offers a unique combination of skiing and relax in the thermal swimming pools. Visitors can enjoy the skiing on perfectly prepared ski slopes in the beautiful surroundings of West Tatras, and dress swimsuit and relax in the swimming pool with hot thermal water after skiing.

Spa & Aquapark Turčianske Teplice – located on the periphery of the beautiful spa park in the centre of city Turčianske Teplice. Thanks to the unique mineral thermal medicinal water it operates all year round. It has significant healing property, first of all on locomotor system and urinary tract.

Medical spas

Aphrodite Spa Rajecké Teplice – an ideal place for medical spa stays, as well as relaxing wellness stays. Thermal springs in Rajecké Teplice are used for the treatment of locomotor systems, neurological and occupational diseases.

Spa Turčianske Teplice – the only spa in Slovakia specialized in treatment of kidneys and urinary tracts diseases. Other indications: musculoskeletal disorders, digestive tract diseases, occupational diseases, neurological, gynecological and oncological disorders.

Spa LÚČKY - located in a beautiful valley in the forest surrounding of Choč Mountains. This will be appreciated by those, who want to relax undisturbed. The healing water is used for treatment of gynecological, neurological, occupational diseases, illnesses and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Mineral water is suitable for drinking and is for free for public. The same water can be find in all pools.

 

Biking, cycling routes

Five regions of Žilina Selfgoverning Region offer a wide range of on and off road cycling opportunities. There are up to 2.280 km of bike paths, the most of all regions in Slovakia.  On two wheels, you can explore the diversity and beauty of Slovak mountains, rich cultural heritage, culture and distinctive folklore.

Ski resorts

Mountain ranges of the Žilina region offer plenty of ski resorts that allow the development of winter recreation. The largest ski resorts are: JASNÁ Nízke Tatry, Vrátna Free Time Zone, Snowland Valčianska dolina, Winter Park Martinky, Jasenská dolina, SKI PARK Ružomberok-Malinô Brdo, Ski Park Kubínska hoľa, Roháče Spálená, Ski Zábava Hruštín – Vasiľovská hoľa, Snowparadise Veľká Rača, ŠPORTCENTRUM in Oščadnica a SKI MAKOV.