Monuments
Vlkolínec is located in the Veľká Fatra mountain range at an altitude of 718m under the hill Sidorovo and not very far from the Hrabovo Apartments. Vlkolínec is a permanently inhabited village, nowadays with 29 inhabitants in 18 houses from a total number of 55 houses. In 1993 it was added to the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites as a unique land habitation architectural complex where time appears to have stopped and which offers the opportunity to see a traditional mountain settlement and the traditional way of life in Slovakian mountain environments.
Ružomberok
Ružomberok the centre of Lower Liptov, lies on the confluence of the Rivers Váh and Revúca in the western part of the Liptov hollow basin at the edge of significant Slovak mountain ranges Veľká Fatra, Chočské vrchý and Nízky Tatry. The first written mention about the settlement is from 1233, town privileges were granted in 1318 when Magistra knight Donča commanded the Lord of Zvolen Archbishop Tomaš to give the town privileges.
In 1340 King Charles Robert agreed with the town privileges and extended them. Part of the privileges was also the termination of the borders of the town is which were made new parks, the so called streets of Biely Potok, Černová, Vlkolínec and Villa Ludrová.
The promising development of the Kings town was halted by King Žigmund in 1390, who gave Ružomberok to the ownership of the Likava estate. Here began hundreds of years of arguments between the town of Ružomberok and Likava estate. In spite of this the town, thanks to its location on an important crossroad continued to develop into a natural trade market and craft centre. Nowadays the town has ambitions to promote itself as a tourist centre.
Ružomberok is rich in natural and cultural monuments. The central part of the town has been declared as a monument zone.
Liptov museum
In the Liptov Museum there are permanent exhibitions of photographs, exhibits and artefacts from the Liptov region. In addition to the permanent exhibitions there are also various exhibitions of fine arts and photographs (Photo Forum and Strom). Also accessible to the public are permanent exhibitions of nature, archaeology, history, ethnography, the history of paper in Slovakia and an exhibition about the life and works of Andrej Hlinka. All these exhibits are located in the main building of the museum.
Photographs were provided by the Liptov Museum Ružomberok
Liptov village museum Pribylina
It is a part of the Liptov museum in Ružomberok. There are buildings from the area flooded by the building of the Liptovska Mara dam and from some of the villages from upper and lower Liptov. There are 11 wooden houses, agricultural complexes, blacksmith, and two impressive brick buildings - a copy of an early gothic church from Liptovská Mary and a gothic-renaissance church from Parížovce. Nowadays most of the buildings are accessible to the public. In the Liptov village museum there are also organised cultural events, showing us the habits and way of life in the Liptov region. There is also the possibility to go horse riding.
Photographs were provided by the Liptov Museum Ružomberok
Likava Castle
The ruins of Likava castle stand on one of the rocky peaks of the Chočské Vrchy on the right bank of the river Vah. It was supposed to protect the crossing point of the River Vah near Ružomberok and the important route from Považia to Orava and Poland. The Lord of Zvolen Magister Donč was responsible for the building of the castle. The castle is partly preserved and is accessible to the public during the summer season. At the castle there is an exposition in the Huňady tower, which consists of many display boards showing reconstructions of the castle with explanatory texts, whose wide content has the aim of satisfying the most demanding visitor, who is looking for as much information about the history of the castle as is possible. Things you can find there include photographic documentation of the castle from the last thirty years, reproduction carvings, wood carvings, drawing and paintings, drawn documentation of archaeological finds, construction components and details, photographs of three dimensional exhibits found during archaeological research of the castle or coming from the historical collection of the Liptov museum these things show us the period, people and live of Likava castle from the last four centuries of its existence.
Photographs were provided by the Liptov Museum Ružomberok
Orava Castle
A well preserved castle standing on limestone cliffs, at a height of 112m above the river Orava, overlooking the village of Oravský Podzámok. The castle is a national cultural monument.
Orava castle once the residence of the Orava Lord was built in the 13th century on the site of a former prehistoric settlement. The first written historical mention comes from 1267, when it was the King’s property. Over time the owner has changed. The current look of the castle is due to the Thurzo dynasty, whose reconstruction work put the castle among the most important buildings of the renaissance age. In 1800 there was a big fire at the castle and it was badly damaged. It was though quickly repaired, and the Pálffy dynasty the last owners tried to tried give it a romantic feel.
The last and the most important and complex reconstruction took place between 1953 and 1968. The buildings interior is preserved from the gothic, renaissance and romantic periods. The most preserved is the interior of the chapel with furnishings from 1752.
Photographs were provided by the Design d15
At the castle it is possible to see the following exhibitions.
- Natural exhibition divided into two parts flora and fauna of Roháče and the Orava Dam.
- Archaeological exhibition focusing on the prehistoric history settling of Orava.
- Ethnographic exhibition which is called ‘One year in a village' and presents the villages of Orava.
- Historical exhibition which contains original furnishings of the castle and its building.