Lying to the north of Ružomberok, an ugly industrial town belching with smoke from the paper mill, is Vlkolínec, a preserved folk village now listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site. It is reached by a dirt track, with limited passing places, and the entry is controlled by a woman who did not speak a word of English. The entry fee is €2, plus €1 for car parking (with a ticket provided for the dashboard!)
Vlkolínec is a remarkably well preserved mountain settlement below the Sidorovo mountain, on the inner slopes of the West Carpathians. According to literature, it is a typical Central Slovakian settlement that can be found in the mountain and foothills in the northern part of Central Slovakia. The village has a single street with houses arranged on both its sides. The basic building material is timber: the walls of the houses are made of logs or timber, and the roofs of the houses are covered with shingle, ended in half-circles and a peg. In the central square is a belfry and at the eastern edge of the village is a baroque classical Church of the Virgin Mary, which was closed on the day.
Not the entire village is cut off from the "real" world: there are cars parked outside the houses. Some villagers, perhaps tired of prying tourists, have erected "Private Property" signs outside their doors. The key to the toilet is controlled by the shop keeper next to the Museum, who charged 30 cents for the privilege. A small bottle of Kofola here is €1,20, whereas the normal price is €1.
Vlkolínec is a remarkably well preserved mountain settlement below the Sidorovo mountain, on the inner slopes of the West Carpathians. According to literature, it is a typical Central Slovakian settlement that can be found in the mountain and foothills in the northern part of Central Slovakia. The village has a single street with houses arranged on both its sides. The basic building material is timber: the walls of the houses are made of logs or timber, and the roofs of the houses are covered with shingle, ended in half-circles and a peg. In the central square is a belfry and at the eastern edge of the village is a baroque classical Church of the Virgin Mary, which was closed on the day.
Not the entire village is cut off from the "real" world: there are cars parked outside the houses. Some villagers, perhaps tired of prying tourists, have erected "Private Property" signs outside their doors. The key to the toilet is controlled by the shop keeper next to the Museum, who charged 30 cents for the privilege. A small bottle of Kofola here is €1,20, whereas the normal price is €1.
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| Wooden sculptures at the entry to Vlkolínec |
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| The belfry in the centre of the village, Vlkolínec |
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| Two of the brightly painted cottages at Vlkolínec |
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| Walls constructed from logs |
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| Storage of logs widely seen at Vlkolínec |
