Západné Tatry - Roháče (West Tatra Mountains) - Slovakia
Extent: 400 km²
West Tatra Mountains form part of Western Carpathian Mountains, and are situated in north part of Slovak Republic. Its part – Roháče – has Alps´ character.
Highest peak: Bystrá (2248 m).
Surface: afforested, pines, in higher sites, there are to be found dwarfish pine-woods, olough-tails and lichens.
Climatic zone: mostly cold.
Mountain nucleus is formed with granites and crystalic slates, on surface with limestones and dolomites.
On a territory with rare fauna and flora, there are to be found mountain lakes (plesa), tourist communities and well marked tourist trails into valleys or to the tops (peaks).
A part of West Tatra Mountains became a part of Tatra National Park in 1987.
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SK, Zuberec – A Trip to the History in the Museum of Oravan Village – VIDEO
In the village of Zuberec itself, see the local church of St. Vendelín and several original cottages, which are called wooden houses. Then continue for about 2 kilometers to the valley of Studený potok to the open-air museum itself.
On about 8 hectares, the museum tries to present the folk buildings of the region, their facilities and the everyday life of the local people. Since 1967, over 50 buildings have gradually been built here, most of which are originals transported from various locations in Orava.
You will see Dolnooravský rínok - a village with a market and a village square, Hornooravská street, which represents a street type of village with terraced buildings, Goralské lazy as an example of scattered mountain homesteads and a mill with a mound. From the highest point, a beautiful wooden church of St. Elizabeth with a painted interior overlooks the village.
For most buildings, you can look inside to see the different types of rooms where people used to live. In the open-air museum, they try to get as close as possible to the outdoor areas of the settlements, so they keep domestic animals here and grow crops typical of the local region.
The whole Museum of the Orava village breathes the atmosphere that the local region could have had 200 or more years ago. It will show you how harsh life in the valleys in the shadow of the mountains could have been. I don't like similar museums myself, but the open-air museum in Zuberec thrilled me.
Of course, you can combine the visit with a tour of the Brest Cave, the entrance to which you will find only a few tens of meters from the open-air museum. And don't forget to try some of the region’s traditional dishes in the local hut. If you want to get to know the beautiful nature of Roháče better, go for example to the Roháčske plesá Nature Trail and to the Roháč Waterfall.
GPS: 49°15'37.2"N 19°39'45.7"E
Text, photos, and video: Matouš Vinš
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Mountains / Europe / Slovakia
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