Vlkolínec

Vlkolínec is a small mountain settlement, which is part of the town of Ružomberok in the Žilina Region. It is unique in that it has been preserved almost in its original state as a traditional wooden village of Central European type. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, which confirms its value and importance. It was founded between the second half of the fourteenth and the first half of the fifteenth centuries as a settlement of woodcutters, shepherds and coal miners. For centuries it was part of the Likav Castle estate and has retained its traditional character without new modern buildings. Vlkolínec is a typical two-row street with long courtyards. In the centre of the village stands the Roman Catholic Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary from 1875 and other well-known buildings such as the bell tower from 1770 and the log well from 1860. The village is located in the beautiful countryside of the Veľká Fatra National Park, protected by the Sidorovo Mountain. Today there are about thirty inhabitants living in the original wooden houses from the eighteenth century, which were painted twice a year with special lime paints. Vlkolínec is also the venue for various cultural events, the most famous of which is the annual 'Sunday in Vlkolínec' at the beginning of August. Accommodation is also available for visitors directly in the wooden houses and there is a cycling trail leading through the area. If you would like to know more about the site or its history, it is worth visiting the 1886 Peasant House exhibition, which faithfully depicts the life of local people at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Vlkolínec is a unique oasis of traditional folk architecture that gives you a glimpse into the life of a mountain village hundreds of years ago.