In Mala Fatra we will find the most beauty Slovakia has to offer – mountain ridges, meadows and forests, full of rare plants and animals, clean streams and rivers, gurgling waterfalls of narrow gorges and endless adventures in a small area.
Velky Rozsutec is considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains in Slovakia, simply a pearl of Mala Fatra. There is a legend saying that somewhere on the top of the mountain there is gold hidden.
One of the most beautiful art scenes of Mala Fatra is situated in Rajecka Lesna. Yes, you are right! It is the Slovak Betlehem and it has become a place – a building where many people from all around the world come every day. What is so magical about this place? It depicts the birth of Jesus in Betlehem, life and history of Slovakia. It is great, Christian and national masterpiece. If you happen to be there, be sure that it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5.30p.m. except for Monday.
After visiting Betlehem, you can drop by in the village of Cicmany. You will find it in Strazovske Mountains. It is famous for its architecture – painted log houses. It is a monumental reservation of folk architecture. The patterns on houses will take you into past rich on folk traditions. This pattern became a symbol of Slovak sportsmen in Olympic Games in 2012 where they wore sporting costumes with this pattern. The folk costumes and geometric embroideries are unique in the world.
One place you should definitely visit is Terchova which is beautiful and quirky town. It is the birthplace of Slovak national hero – Juraj Janosik – often referred to as the Slovak Robin Hood. He has become a topic of many legends, fairy tales, films and poems. The town pays homage to him with statue and museum.
Amazing nature of Mala Fatra
Would you believe that waterfalls and Janosik can have something in common? Yes, it is so. Janosik’s holes are canyons and gorges in Mala Fatra. They are situated in the natural reservation Rozsutec. These are real waterfalls and you will get to see them by climbing the
ladder, chains and bridges.
Wide range of interesting plants and animals like golden eagle, wildcat and European otter live here. If you want to learn something new and get to know this place better, there is also a Nature Trail which has three points where you may enter it: Hotel Boboty, Stefanova and Biely potok.
Sports and relax in Mala Fatra
If you decide to visit Mala Fatra in winter, the ski resort of Vratna offers you wide range of services. The best conditions in ski resort are from December to April. The length of the downhill tracks is 14 km. It is divided according to difficulty of these runs into three categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced. It means each type of skier can experience enchanting magic of skiing in this place. Even children can spend their time in the child park or in the resort ski kindergarten and in the school of skiing. Night skiing is also possible as there are 1500m of illuminated routes.
If your body craves and longs for some relax and well-being, we advise you to visit Terchovec – center of relax and information. It is located in a beautiful surrounding of Terchova, simply in its heart. The whole complex of this center consists of two parts. In the first one you will find information center and you can opt for and choose sport like squash, bowling, snooker or fitness. In the second part, there are various types of the pools, water attractions and saunas. It is open daily from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and at the weekend from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Rich history
You can enjoy historical character of this region in Bojnice castle which dates back to Great Moravian empire. It used to be one of the most beautiful and important castle in the history. Kids may admire various animals in Bojnice’s ZOO which is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The entry fee is 3,50 Euro for an adult and 1,50 Euro for a child.
Get on a train in Vychylovka – the forest back swath railway, which is unique in Europe and one of very few in the world. It was used to transport timber from the woods in the past. Today, it is a cultural and historical monument where you can travel by train pulled by a locomotive.
We definitely advise you to visit Museum of Kysucka village in Vychylovka. Every year during the tourist season a visitor may see the craftwork of local people, performances of folk groups, cooking typical food of this area.
