Námestovo District – Orava Reservoir, Marshes and Pilsko

Námestovo District combines the Orava Reservoir with marshlands, mountain views, technical cultural monuments and opportunities for water and winter sports. When planning your trip, the contrast between the experiences is particularly appealing: you can explore nature reserves and raised bogs, come across historical traces of the flooded villages or combine sporting activities on the water and in the snow.

Landscapes between reservoir, marsh and mountain

The Orava Reservoir provides a habitat for fish and, in particular, waterfowl. A special cultural and historical feature is located on Slanica Island: it is the surviving remnant of the flooded village of Slanica, which was submerged during the construction of the Orava Reservoir. The island is home to a memorial cemetery, a calvary and the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Thus, the reservoir brings together a natural environment and visible traces of the past in one place.

The Klinské Moor is a national nature reserve in the Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area. It is a well-preserved, unforested raised bog fed exclusively by precipitation. Slaná voda at the foot of Babia Hora has a distinct landscape character of its own. The area includes an iodine-bromine saltwater spring and one of the best-preserved marshes in Slovakia. The Slaná voda marsh covers 108 ha and can be explored via a wooden walkway.

Pilsko also represents a mountain landscape shaped by cross-border influences. Pilsko belongs to the Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area; the Polish part is part of the Pilsko Nature Reserve. From the summit, there are views of Babia Hora, the Tatra Mountains, the Choč Mountains, the Malá Fatra and Poland. Hiking trails to the summit of Pilsko lead from Sihelné, Mútne and Oravské Veselé.

Educational trails and specific nature experiences

The Oravská Lesná forestry educational trail is 4.3 km long and offers three options for walks through the forest. A specific feature is expressly documented for orientation according to mobility and equipment: Route 1 is accessible to people with disabilities, bicycles and parents with strollers. This clearly distinguishes this part of the educational trail from merely a viewing platform or a single natural attraction.

The Hájovňa pod Babou horou complex houses two literary exhibitions. The forester's lodge also contains a literary museum dedicated to Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav's work “Hájnikova žena”. This cultural focus complements the nature experiences with a literary approach to the landscape.

Water, technology and winter sports

The Kysuce–Orava Forest Railway is a national technical cultural monument and is considered unique in the world. At the Orava Reservoir, the Námestovo Water Park provides a distinctly more active attraction: it features an inflatable water park as well as pedal boat and motorboat rentals. Jet skis and adrenaline rides in inflatable boats are also available. Námestovo's skate park is located directly on the shore of the Orava Reservoir.

For the cold season, the Orava Snow winter sports centre in Oravská Lesná offers two lifts and seven ski slopes with a total length of 8.5 km. In addition, there are 5 km of cross-country skiing trails.

Local pages for further orientation

For further orientation among the localities, see Rabčice, Mútne, Oravská Lesná, Zákamenné, Oravské Veselé, Hruštín, Sihelne, Námestovo, Oravská Polhora, Bobrov and Novot. The regional transport connection is bus route 050661, which runs from Námestovo via Oravská Lesná and Nová Bystrica to Žilina.

For the wider travel overview: Žilina.