On the left bank of the Váh river, close to Žilina, you find the Strečno Castle on top of the limestone rock. In the past it was the safest fort in the Považie region.
The castle was mentioned for the first time in 1384 in a phrase Comitatus castri Strechyn, i.e. estates of the Castle of Strečno. Based on indirect written reports it can be assumed that the Castle already existed in the first half of the 14th century. It was to safeguard the toll collection at a ford through the Váh river.
The oldest castle had the area of only 18x22 m. It comprised a rather small residential building, a water tank and a dominant watch tower with a defense function - the so-called bergfrit. In the course of the centuries, the Castle was extended and altered several times, whereas it had the largest area in the 17th century when it reached the status of the castle with best fortifications in the region of Stredné Považie.
At present it is the property of the Žilina Self-Governing Region and is administered by the Museum of Považie in Žilina (Považské múzeum v Žiline).
A story that is associated the most with the Castle of Strečno is the personal story of Žofia Bosniaková. Primarily, it is a story of her love for her husband, God and the poor. Intact remains of her body were found in the Castle crypt and transferred to the church in Teplička nad Váhom. In April 2009, they were subject to vandalism and destroyed. A replica of her mummy is located in the castle chapel.
The Castle of Strečno is an indispensable part of the landscape scenery of the Malá Fatra mountains and the castle rock and the path above the Castle provide a beautiful view of the Strečiansky priesmyk mountain pass, Domašínsky meander and a great part of the Žilinská kotlina basin.
| Monday – Sunday | 09:00 – 18:00 |
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Posledný vstup 17.00 hod.
| Monday – Sunday | 09:00 – 16:00 |
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Posledný vstup 15.00 hod.
| Monday – Sunday | 10:00 – 10:00 |
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The only access road to the Vrátna valley, the most attractive part of the Malá Fatra Mts. is from the village Terchová. The Vrátna valley has four points of access: Tiesňavy, Stará dolina, Nová dolina and Starý dvor.
The National Park of Malá Fatra is situated in the westernmost Slovak high mountains Malá Fatra. Gorges, rock peaks and an attractive ridge tour are among its attractions.
The village Štefanová with numerous buildings built in traditional style is situated in the north-west of Slovakia at the foothill of the mountain Veľký Rozsutec (1,610 m).
The Súľovské skaly rocks forming an attractive rock town are situated in the north-west of Slovakia, only several kilometres from Žilina. Interesting landforms in form of rock towers, needles, windows and gates separated by deep waterless gorges, ravines and valleys are the results of action of rain, ice, and wind, in other words – chemical and mechanical weathering.
Situation of the village Blatnica next to the Gaderská dolina and Blatnická dolina valleys makes of it an ideal salient point for the trips to the spectacular valleys of the Veľká Fatra Mts.
The National Park of Veľká Fatra, lying in central Slovakia is typical for its continuous forest, long valleys and the largest locality of original yew tree occurrence in Europe.
You can bathe in the Laura thermal spa in two swimming pools, from which one is for the children. The water temperature is 20 - 26oC. The area also offers mini-golf, beach volley, restaurants and snack bars with fast food. A parking lot is nearby.
The Aphrodite Spa Rajecké Teplice is situated amid the scenic natural surroundings of the Malá Fatra and Strážovské Hills. The Spa offers healing thermal water with a temperature of 38°C, whose beneficial effects have been known since the fourteenth century. It contains calcium and magnesium ions and is especially good for the locomotor system, neurological diseases, occupational diseases, and drinking cures.
The facility includes eight pools that suit the needs of all kinds of visitors, with the swimming pool being the largest of them, as it is 50 metres long, 21 metres wide and 1.8 metres deep. The centre also features a car park, a wide selection of snacks, sports (beach volleyball, mini golf, table tennis and basketball) and amenities for children (a water slide, a number of slides, jungle gyms and a sand pit).
Fierce fights for the strategic gap of the Váh and the mountain range Malá Fatra near Strečno in the north-west of Slovakia took place between the German army and the partisans of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP). A memorial was built on the hill Zvonica to commemorate the dead heroes.
Hrad sa vyníma na lesnom pozadí v Domašínskom meandri Váhu povyše hradu Strečno. Na Považí patril tento hrad medzi najstaršie. Pôvodne sa nazýval hrad Varín. Svoj dnešný názov "Starý hrad" získal po výstavbe a sprevádzkovaní hradu Strečno.
The gothic wooden Roman Catholic church of St George is the oldest architectural monument in village Trnové. It stands on the local cemetery.
The synagogue of the Orthodox Jewish community was built in 1927 according to plans of an unknown author.
The Považie Gallery of Art was founded in 1976, followings its separation from the Považie Museum. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, its regularly-held exhibitions focused mainly on contemporary Slovak drawing. The gallery is managed by the Žilina Self-governing Region.
Mestské divadlo Žilina sídli v budove, ktorá bola postavená ako Reprezentačný dom Žiliny v rokoch 1942-1944 podľa projektov moravsko-nemeckého architekta Ota Reichnera. Stavba nesie znaky talianskeho neoklasicizmu a pôvodne sa v nej nachádzali kultúrne priestory, cirkevná škola a honosná radná sieň.
Je najvýznamnejším a najstarším objektom v meste. S veľkou pravdepodobnosťou v blízkosti a na mieste dnešného kostola stál od 13. storočia hrad, o čom máme písomné správy od roku 1318 do roku 1454.
Bábkové divadlo Žilina je najstaršie profesionálne bábkové divadlo na Slovensku. V roku 2015 oslávuje 65 rokov existencie.
The Museum of Považie in Žilina is situated in the premises of the Budatín Castle on the northern outskirts of Žilina.
Kysucké múzeum, organizácia v zriaďovateľskej pôsobnosti Žilinského samosprávneho kraja, pozýva širokú verejnosť na novú stálu expozíciu Dejiny Čadce a okolia.
