Visiting a country, it is often hard to get a picture for the history of the people. We’re not talking about the nobility, historical events or even war – we’re talking about understanding the history of the people and how their lives evolved and changed. Visiting villages like Vlkolinec, Slovakia can provide insights into the people of the Carpathian Mountains.
Vlkolinec in Central Slovakia is unlike any place we’ve ever visited. The 55 completely intact houses, school (which houses the Gallery of Folk Art) and the Church of Visitation of Virgin Mary show a traditional Eastern European community frozen in time. It’s still the 1800’s in Vlkolinec – and always will be. This is the best preserved village in the entire region and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The word Vlkolinec takes its name from the word ‘wolf’, which was common to the region at one time. The town was first documented in 1376 and by 1469 had grown to include five streets. Documents from the 1630 give a clue that the residents of the town maintained the “wolf-pits” for the nearby manor of Likava.
Our guide, Magdalena Valkovicova, explained how in the 18th century, the town served as a logging community for the nearby town of Ružomberok. Logs were harvested on the Sidorovo peak above the town during the winter and pulled down the hill on the snow. Since 1882, Vlkolinec has been an annexed territory and administered by Ružomberok.
We visited Vlkolinec’s Blockbau timber houses in the early autumn. The leaves were giving up their green and turning shades of yellow and orange. A few late summer flowers were clutching to life on the steep mountain hillside.
That morning, Laura had seriously sprained her ankle in Banska Stiavnica and was unable to get out of the car. Our guide, Magdalena Valkovicova, was able to get permission for us to drive our car into the village so Laura was able to see some of it (even though she wasn’t able to get out of the car).
While Vlkolinec is kind of living-history town, it’s still a real community. Out of the 55 buildings in town, 18 are still lived-in full time and a number of other houses host occupants seasonally. You’ll see satellite dishes on some of the homes.
In the two room museum, I was able to get a better understanding of the lives of villagers. The two room houses were constructed of local timber and mounted on stone foundations. The entrance and central room of the home is the kitchen and the large stone hearth warms all the rooms in the cold Carpathian winters.
The museum shows the tools, clothing and implements of daily life (cooking supplies, beds, furniture, etc.) in Central Slovakia. The museum has a shed behind it where several pigs welcome visitors by squealing loudly.
The primitive nature of Vlkolinec stands in contrast to modern Slovakia. We enjoyed visiting Vlkolinec and seeing this slice of rural life.
Visiting Information
Here is some important information if you are planning to visit:
Admission: There is a €2 admission for adults (€1 for kids).
Parking: There is a fee of €1 per hour for parking. You will need to park at the lot at the entrance to the village. The only cars allowed inside are residents.
Food: The Restaurant Vlkolínec serves food and drinks and can be found near the top of the village. The Galeria Pub in the village also has drinks, snacks and ice cream. However, for both, the hours vary considerably by season. In the winter and off season, they both tend to be closed or only open on weekends outside of the summer. Basically, don’t count on either being open.
The village has benches and picnic tables that are perfect for picnics. Bring your own food and enjoy the views.
Otherwise, there are a number of restaurants on the main road (E77) or in the nearby town of Ružomberok.
We were the grateful guests of the Slovak Tourist Board and our guide Magdalena Valkovicova. As always, all opinions and photography are our own.
And because you can never have too many photos, here are a few more from Vlkolinec, Slovakia:
Lance Longwell is a travel writer and photographer who has published Travel Addicts since 2008, making it one of the oldest travel blogs. He is a life-long traveler, having visited all 50 of the United States by the time he graduated high school. Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia.
Thomas
Thursday 16th of April 2020
Which is the nearest intl. airport to visit this picturesquqe village.... and is there any other place nearby to visit.
Lance Longwell
Friday 17th of April 2020
The closest international airport is either Bratislava, Slovakia or Krakow, Poland. Krakow is a little closer distance, but takes a bit more time. From either city, head to Ružomberok, Slovakia on the bus or the train. Vlkolinec is not fair (either local bus and train). The Tatras Mountains are very close by and are good for skiing or hiking.
Isabella
Friday 14th of August 2015
Wow! What a nice place to visit! :) I'm trying to visit as many skansens & open air folk museums as possible and this one seems to be not so far away :) Thank you!
Jennifer
Wednesday 8th of April 2015
It definitely looks like an interesting village! We have been to Slovakia, but only spent time in Bratislava.
Monika
Monday 9th of March 2015
It seems you really enjoyed Slovakia, so many posts :) If anyone considers Vlkolinec for a trip, I definitely recommend staying in Liptov or Orava region which are nearby and I personally consider them the most beautiful places in Slovakia :) Vlkolinec can be easily reached from there.
Lance Longwell
Thursday 19th of March 2015
Good tip. And yes, we're really loving Slovakia right now!
Christina
Tuesday 20th of January 2015
What an amazing village! I'm glad it has been so painstakingly preserved.
Do you have any more practical advice on visiting? Is this a day trip site and where would your "home base" be if that were the case? Is it better to drive or are there trains/buses? Thanks!
Paulo
Saturday 15th of April 2023
@Lance Longwell, Is the access to the town ticketed? What is the admission cost and the operating hours?
Lance Longwell
Wednesday 21st of January 2015
Christina, thanks for asking. Let's talk practical advice. There are no hotels or accommodations in the village other than private homes. There is a small inn (maybe 5 rooms or so) at the very bottom of the hill by the highway. It is ghastly ugly and looks like a child's daycare center. Otherwise, most accommodations are in Ružomberok (~5-7km away). There is a local bus from Ružomberok that drops off on the highway near the ugly inn. But from there, it's probably a 20 minute walk up the hill. Private tour buses can get maybe a half mile off the main highway before they must park. The road is too narrow and the turns are too tight to for buses and coaches to make it up the hill. So...your best option is really a private car. It was the perfect half-way point between Banska Stiavnica and Krakow in Poland - two popular destinations. It could be done as a day-trip from any of the Carpathian Mountain ski towns. I'm guessing you could do it as a day trip from Bratislava, but that would be a long day and you'd be rush through some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Take your time. Hope that helps!