Nová Bystrica: Kysuce Culture and Forest Railway

Nová Bystrica combines documented Kysuce culture with a unique historic railway line, evidence of a relocated village and experiences of the landscape by the water. The most important cultural point of reference is in Nová Bystrica–Vychylovka: the Múzeum Kysuckej dediny is a permanent open-air exhibition that documents and conveys the former life and culture of the people of Kysuce.

Open-Air Museum and Historic Forest Railway

In the open-air museum, you can see residential and farm buildings as well as technical and sacred structures. The buildings were relocated from several villages in Kysuce, thereby making different aspects of former village life visible. The tour is not limited to buildings: the site also includes a narrow-gauge forest railway with a reversing loop. It carries visitors along a 3.6 km route through the museum grounds.

The forest railway is also a national cultural monument. Between the open-air museum station and Beskid Saddle, you can travel by historic train or handcar. This presents two clearly distinct ways of experiencing the site: the buildings convey the cultural and everyday history of Kysuce, while the railway makes the historic technical side of this place tangible.

Riečnica and the History of a Vanished Village

Another focal point is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the former municipality of Riečnica. The single-nave Neo-Romanesque church was built in 1905. Following the relocation of Riečnica, the church is the only material testimony to the existence of the former village. In 1996, it was declared a cultural monument.

For groups, the visiting arrangements require particular attention: group visits to the Church of Riečnica in the area of the Nová Bystrica Reservoir can only be organised as an exception and by prior arrangement. The church is therefore a historically significant, but not freely schedulable, part of the local landscape. If you are particularly interested in this site, you should take the limited possibility of group visits into account when planning.

Nature Trail, Reservoir and Vychylovské Prahy

The landscape can be interpreted at several different points. Along the Školský náučný chodník Prírodné spoločenstvá doliny Chmúra educational trail, information panels describe the typical ecosystems of water, soil, meadows and coniferous forests. The trail therefore does not present just a single landscape image, but places different habitats along the route in context.

At the dam of the Vodná nádrž Nová Bystrica – Vychylovka reservoir, there is a path with views of part of the reservoir. Vychylovské prahy on the Vychylovka stream in Nová Bystrica is another distinctive natural formation. Here, a typical stepped course of a mountain stream through claystone and sandstone layers can be seen. The rocky section extends for approximately 150 m, is visible from the road and is suitable as a stop on the way to the Múzeum Kysuckej dediny Vychylovka.

Circular Route and Regional Cuisine

For a combination of landscape and regional culture, the Okruh Hrebeňom Kysúc circular route is a stand-alone experience worth considering. It begins at a car park in Nová Bystrica and leads towards Stará Bystrica via the Kysucká magistrála. Along this circular route, traditional dishes are served in a traditional inn, and the staff wear Kysuce folk costumes. A culinary stop thus complements the scenic route with a visible regional connection.

Find out more about Vychylovka at Vychylovka. Other destinations in this selection: Klubina (Klubina), Stara Bystrica (Stara Bystrica), Korňa (Korňa), Zborov Nad Bystricou (Zborov Nad Bystricou), Krasno Nad Bystricou (Krasno Nad Kysucou), Vysoká Nad Kysucou (Vysoká Nad Kysucou) and Turzovka (Turzovka).

For the higher-level travel overview: Čadca.