20/05/2019

5 jewels of Orava

5 klenotov Oravy
Come and discover the beauties of Slovakia with us again! After Banská Štiavnica we will move further north to places that certainly have something to offer. Orava is a very diverse region, not only for hiking lovers, but also for skiers and monument enthusiasts. We will show you where to look for the most interesting things.

Orava Castle

The dominant feature of Orava is undoubtedly the castle, which rises on a cliff above the Orava River in Oravský podzámek. It was built after the Tatar invasion in 1241, and from the originally small fortress, an extensive castle complex was created over the following centuries. Its premises served as the seat of the castle estate, the most extensive reconstruction was carried out by the Thurz family, who were the owners of the castle since 1556. The castle acquired its current form at the beginning of the 17th century.

The castle complex consists of the Lower, Middle and Upper Castles with palaces, fortifications and towers. There is a beautiful view of the surroundings from the castle hill. You can choose to tour the Lower, Middle and Upper Castles and the Citadel or the Treasury and the Chapel of St. Michael. Alternatively, combine both of these tours. There are several permanent exhibitions in the premises of Orava Castle. Among the most interesting is certainly the Media Library, which will remind you of all the films that were shot at Orava Castle. We wrote about some of them in this article .

Rio de Klin

Slovakia can also boast a statue of Christ, similar to Brazil's Rio de Janeiro. Above the village of Klin, near Námestovo, a 9.5-meter-high statue of Jesus Christ spreads its arms as if to protect everything below it - the Orava Dam, Roháče and the surrounding nature, in the distance you can see as far as Zakopane in Poland.

The entire area around the statue is beautifully landscaped, with flowers everywhere and a palpable sense of peace. You can enjoy the silence and the view on the numerous benches on the hill. In front of the statue of Christ, a statue of John Paul II kneels in prayer, which only enhances the atmosphere of the surroundings. The author of the idea is businessman Jozef Sroka, who financed the entire project. The statue was carved by local folk carver Peter Ganobjak, who later created an iron structure. It was cast in concrete and transported to the hill. It was covered with ypor and then he carved both figures from it with an axe and a hoe. The statue of Christ in the village of Klin is the third in the world, after the aforementioned Rio in Brazil and Lisbon in Portugal.

Orava Dam

Today, the Orava Dam is a popular summer resort for recreation and sports. Every year, thousands of lovers of windsurfing, yachting, water skiing, cycling and boating visit here. There are many campsites and cottages in its vicinity, which are full in the summer months. However, the history of the Orava Dam is just as interesting as staying at it today. The Orava Dam is part of the Orava waterworks built at the confluence of the Biela and Čierna Orava rivers. Even in the 16th century, during heavy rains, a strong stream of water threatened human settlements and fields in the Orava Basin. The first projects for the construction of the dam with the aim of using this unbridled element were drawn up during the times of Hungary and the First Republic. During the later construction, the villages of Slanica, Ľavkovo, Ústie, Osada and Oravské Hámre were flooded, in addition to them, part of the village of Bobrov and almost 70% of the original area of ​​Námestovo were also flooded. The first turbine was launched in 1953, but work continued the following year. The only remnant of the flooded villages is currently the Slanice Island of Art, which you can visit by boat in the summer months. There is an 18th-century church on the island, which houses a permanent exhibition of works by folk sculptors and painters. In the outer part of the church, in the lapidary, you will find a collection of Orava stonemasonry from the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition, on the island you can also see the monument to Anton Bernolák, who was born in the now flooded Slanice. In the former tomb by the church there is an exhibition "History of flooded villages and the construction of the Orava Dam".

Orava Village Museum

Have you ever imagined how people lived in the past? How they worked, what they grew or what animals they kept? The Orava Village Museum in Zuberec – Brestová offers an interesting insight into the life of the Orava people in the second half of the 19th century. The open-air museum is located in the foothills of the Western Tatras – Roháče, on the site where the urban pastures of the inhabitants of Zuberec were originally located. The buildings in the museum are mostly originals that were dismantled and transported from various parts of Orava after purchase. After treatment, they were reassembled in the museum.

The museum is divided into 5 units – Dolnooravaský rínok, Hornooravská ulica, Goralské laz, Kostol and Mlynisko with water and technical structures – a mill and a washboard. The mountain stream Studená flows between the houses, thanks to which the drive for the mill and washboard has been reconstructed. When walking through the museum, you really feel like you have been transported to the past.

The exhibition includes not only buildings, but also fields and plots where, just as in the past, various cereals, legumes, potatoes, vegetables and poppies are grown. Traditional life also included the breeding of domestic animals, so you can "meet" sheep, goats, geese, chickens and horses.
When you come to the Orava Village Museum, don't miss a visit to the Brestovská Cave , the entrance to which is located just a few meters from the museum. The length of the accessible part of the cave is 217 meters, but expect to return along the same route, climbing 240 steps during the tour. The cave is entered in small groups (max. 15 people) and the number of entries per day is limited, so we recommend booking tickets in advance.

Wooden church in Tvrdošín

The cemetery in Tvrdošín hides an inconspicuous wooden Gothic Roman Catholic Church of All Saints, which dates from the second half of the 15th century. Two centuries later, it was renovated in the Renaissance style and in 2008 was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It is dominated by a Baroque altar with a painting of all saints from the late 17th century, the predecessor of which was a low Gothic altar. Only the wing with the painting of St. Peter and St. John the Baptist has survived. In addition to the altar, visitors will be particularly interested in the paintings of the apostles, the late Renaissance pulpit with figures of the evangelists and the painting of St. George on horseback fighting a dragon. The church is open during the summer months, and outside the season it is necessary to book an entrance by phone.
20/05/2019