The Northwestern Slovakia is one of the most beautiful areas of the Slovak Republic which is distinguished by a moderate climate. Mountains have moderately warm to moderately cold mountain climate. Precisely here is the place where we can find the message of history left behind by the Roman troops. The northwestern Slovakia combines the traces of ancient history, gorgeous nature and modern towns into one. The Northwestern Slovakia region is truly rich in historic walks. Numerous castles indicate its rich past. In the surroundings of Žilina there is the Lietava Castle (Lietavský hrad), Budatín Château (Budatínsky zámok) and Strečno Castle (hrad Strečno) which is a national cultural monument. When strolling through the vicinity of Trenčín you come across the ingloriously famous Čachtice Castle (Čachtický hrad) with the bloody legend of its chatelaine, Beckov Castle and, of course, the most famous Trenčín Castle (Trenčiansky hrad). The inscription on the steep walls of the Trenčín Castle testifies the presence of Roman legionaries in this area. It was inscribed in 179 in remembrance of their victory over the Quadi tribe.
Historical towns
The town of Trenčín is located under the Trenčín Castle. It belongs to the most significant Slovak towns with rich cultural and social life. Apart from many architectural monuments and museums which can be found here it also organises exhibitions and social events. One of the most famous ones is the Pohoda music festival which attracts thousands of people every year. Another famous festival is the International Art Film Festival which is organised in cooperation with the nearby spa resort Trenčianske Teplice.
Žilina is the largest city of the Northwestern Slovakia and a true metropolis. In 1990 after the reconstruction of its historical centre it has become one of the most beautifully reconstructed cities in Slovakia. The monuments in the centre belong to the city’s registered national landmarks. It is dominated by a baroque church of St. Paul Apostle (kostol sv. Pavla Apoštola) and a monastery of Jesuits from the mid-18th century. The oldest preserved monument is the Church of St. Stephan (kostol sv. Štefana) in the city district called Rudiny with especially valuable internal decorations. To the north of Žilina we can admire the ancient wirework handicraft in the Budatín castle. This exhibition is the only one of its kind in the world.
Let us discover the history of the Slovak nation in the town of Martin. It is the seat of the National Museum and National Library. The Martin Cemetery was declared as the National Cemetery and various distinctive personalities of social and cultural life have found the place to rest in peace.
Exceptional natural beauty and wealth
If you enter the protected landscape area of the Strážov Hills (Strážovské vrchy) you find yourself in the world of thick forests, bizarre rocks and admirable valleys and basins. The village of Čičmany is the most attractive one for tourists with its typical wooden houses decorated by painted ornaments.
The Kopanice Region is situated on the Moravian-Slovak border and it belongs to the protected landscape area of the White Carpathians (Biele Karpaty). It will surprise you with breath-taking views of round shapes changing with limestone rocks. There several natural phenomena in the northwest of Slovakia as well. One of them is the stone balls in the protected landscape area of Kysuce. These are mysterious natural creations of sandstone and pudding stone the origin of which has never been explained. Another phenomenon is the Korňan crude oil well (Korňanský ropný prameň) which is a rare natural seepage of crude oil accompanied by an irregular outflow of natural gas.
The National Park Small Fatra (Malá Fatra) has been declared as a protected landscape area for its remarkable beauty and richness of vegetable and animal species. There are noticeable glens, chasms and rocky peaks which inspire true awe in those who look at them.
World famous bath towns
Piešťany - a world-famous spa resort has become known due to its sulphur mud and geothermal water with healing effects on inflammatory diseases. The spa experienced the biggest bloom in 1889 when the small town of Piešťany became a spa resort. There are also interesting historical monuments such as the Napoleon’s Spa (Napoleonské kúpele). Artistic sculptures in the Spa Park (Kúpeľný park) are also worth of mention. The famous statue of a man breaking his crutch is standing on the Colonnade Bridge (Kolonádový most). This statue has become the symbol of the town in 1894 and nowadays it is a part of its official heraldry. Apart from spa and relaxation activities the town of Piešťany also has a rich cultural life and it offers many sports activities. Various events take place such as the Music festival of Piešťany, Organ Days, Lodenica Country Festival, Hodokvas Multimedia Festival or International Regatta.
The town of Turčianske Teplice is one of the oldest Slovakia’s spa resorts. It is situated in the Turiec Basin (Turčianska kotlina) which is surrounded by the Small Fatra (Malá Fatra), Large Fatra (Veľká Fatra), Žiar Mountain (pohorie Žiar) and Kremnica Mountain (Kremnické vrchy). The modern Slovak spas offer wellness stays and all-year round operation of the SPA & Aquapark. Thanks to advantageous climatic conditions and beautiful nature thus place is a popular destination of both local and foreign visitors. Another famous spa in this region includes the town of Rajecké Teplice and Trenčianske Teplice which supply a variety of recreational and wellness activities.
Golf resorts for every generation
The First Golf Club of Žilina offer sports and cultural events with pleasant atmosphere for golf funs. A golf shop is available as well as a bar with open fire for comfortable and friendly get-togethers. The visitors will certainly appreciate the immediate vicinity of Žilina with all its cultural but mainly social events for young people.
Cycling routes of each level
The Northwestern Slovakia offers various cycling routes especially for demanding bikers such as the Cycle Trip to Martinské hole Mountain. An easy cycle trip around the Trenčín Basin (Trenčianska kotlina) is designed for beginners and it leads through little frequented state roads.
The Kysuce Cycling Route is medium route as to its difficulty degree and it joins the northern part of Kysuce with the headland of the Kysucké Beskydy Mountain. You must go uphill at several occasions but then you can enjoy quick, beautiful and long downhill ride. Apart from this, the cycle trail through hamlets Súčanské kopanice is also one of the favourite routes in the Northwestern Slovakia and you can find various natural places of interest except for the monuments of town listed monument area of Trenčín.
Top destinations - ski resorts in Slovakia
Lovers of winter sports will be delighted to find ski resorts such Vrátna Free Time Zone, Snowparadise Veľká Rača and Winter park Martinky. All of them have cableways, ski lifts and they provide for all family fun, not to speak about first-class ski pistes. The ski resort in Jasenska Valley (Jasenská dolina) offers excellent conditions for alpine hiking and cross-country skiing.
If you decided to visit the northwestern Slovakia by air, we offer you to buy flight tickets thanks to our partner Danube Wings. For further explore the beauty of northwestern Slovakia, you can try car rental from our partner Avis. If you are interested in northwestern Slovakia, with our partner we offer you acommodation in Slovakia, where every visitor will be satisfied.
