Vlkolínec is a small mountain village in the heart of the countryside, about five km from the town of Ružomberok in Slovakia. Vlkolínec is surrounded by the magnificent Vel'ká Fatra, the Greater Fatra, a mountain range in the Western Carpathians. Vlkolínec is the best preserved example of folk architecture in Slovakia. Vlkolínec is a typical medieval mountain village with rustic wooden houses surrounded by terraced fields. The wooden log houses were built on stone foundations, the walls were covered with clay and the roofs covered with wood shingles. The 55 wooden houses of Vlkolínec have been preserved in their orginal state to the present day. The two-storey wooden belfrey was built in 1770. There ia a rare wooden well, built in 1860. A small brook is running through the heart of the small village of Vlkolínec. The inhabitants of Vlkolínec lived off agriculture, sheep farming and wood cutting. The village is not a museum, around twenty people live in Vlkolínec, respecting and reviving the traditions of their ancestors, offering the visitor the atmospere of authentic traditions. A typical example of a farmer's house in Vlkolínec is the Peasant House, a small museum, the exhibition presents the original way of living. Vlkolínec gained the status as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993.
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Vlkolínec is the best preserved example of the folk architecture in Slovakia. Vlkolínec is a typical medieval mountain village with rustic wooden houses surrounded by terraced fields and woods. The 55 wooden houses of Vlkolínec have been preserved in their original state up to the present day. Thanks to its unique original wooden houses, the small village of Vlkolínec was declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993.
Vlkolínec is the best preserved example of the folk architecture in Slovakia. Vlkolínec is a typical medieval mountain village with rustic wooden houses surrounded by terraced fields and woods. The 55 wooden houses of Vlkolínec have been preserved in their original state up to the present day. Thanks to its unique original wooden houses, the small village of Vlkolínec was declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1993.
Vlkolínec is a mountain village in Slovakia. According to legend, the name Vlkolínec is taken from the presence of wolves in the surrounding area of the village, because the Slovak name for wolf is 'vlk'. According to other sources, the village was named after the dougout camouflaged holes in the ground, called 'vlčia jama', they were used in the past as a defence system or to catch wild game, a practise with deep historical roots.
Vlkolínec is a tiny mountain village at the heart of the countryside, situated about five km south of Ružomberok, a town in the northwestern part of Slovakia. Originally Vlkolínec was inhabited by farmers, shepherds, loggers and woodcarvers. The village flourished from the second half of the 18th century until the second half of the 20th century.
The wooden houses of Vlkolínec have been preserved in their original state to the present day. Most of the houses have three rooms, the largest of them is situated at the centre of the house and serves as the family room. The back part of the house serves as a kitchen, the fireplace and chimney were built of stone. The farm sheds are situated behind the houses.
Vlkolínec is surrounded by the Greater Fatra, a magnificent mountain range in the Western Carpathians in Slovakia, the village is situated at the foot of the Sidorovo peak. The wooden log houses were built on stone foundations, the walls are covered with colour-washed clay plaster and the roofs covered with wood shingles. Now, Vlkolínec consists of fifty-five wooden houses.
The twelve metres deep wooden winch-well was in the past the only source of drinking water in the small village of Vlkolínec. The uppert part of the well comprises of a wooden structure on a stone foundation. The water well was built in 1860, the roof covered with wooden shingles, the internal construction of the public well is made of stone. The well was built in 1860. The well of Vlkolínec represents the construction style of that time and the simple folk building techniques.
The wooden bell tower of Vlkolínec was erected in 1770 and is one of the oldest buildings in the village. The bell tower has a wooden tiled roof. In the past, the bell tower formed the boundary between the lower and upper part of Vlkolínec. This location in the centre of Vlkolínec can be explaned by its original function: announcing the time of prayer and a warning system for fires and other dangers. The tower is an exceptional example of a traditional bell tower in Slovakia.
The residents of Vlkolínec lived off agriculture, sheep farming, logging and wood cutting. Around twenty people still live in Vlkolínec, respecting traditions of their ancestors. Today, tourism is a major source of income for the inhabitants of Vlkolínec. Nowadays, Vlkolínec is known for their carved wood statues and several other hand carved wooden objects. The tiny village of Vlkolínec was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993.
The Peasant House in Vlkolínec. Vlkolínec is not an open-air museum, around twenty people live in mountain village, respecting and reviving the traditions of their ancestors, offering the visitors the atmospere of authentic traditions. The Peasant House is a small museum in Vlkolínec, the exhibition presents the original way of living.
Vlkolínec is a mountain village under the administration of Ružomberok, a town in Slovakia. The wooden houses are painted in bright colours, blue, pink, white and yellow. During the Slovak National Uprising in 1944 against the German occupation, many wooden houses of Vlkolínec were destroyed by fire. The remaining houses are remarkable undisturbed and well preserved.
The church of Vlkolínec was built in 1875. The small Roman Catholic Church of Vlkolínec has a single nave, a sacristy and a bell tower. The church expresses the traditions and association with the Christian faith. The church of Vlkolínec functioned as place of motivation, but also as a place of social contact. The church is situated just outside the village of Vlkolínec.