Walking Tour along the Slovak Amber Road - Vah River Basin

Itinerary

Basin of the river Vah is an ideal place to spend pleasant moments in a virgin nature. The surroundings of river Vah are woven through by steep rock walls creating unusual formations. Human fantasy ascribed various names to them and together they create entire rock towns. Silent valleys where white rock towers contrast with fresh blooming meadows form an eye-catching scenery. This area hides a piece of history as well.
Traditional folk villages with wonderful ruins of castles recalling the former lifestyle and glorious history of this region.

1. Day 1 Arrival in Zilina, Slovakia.

   - Arrival in Zilina
   - Accommodation in a hotel
   - Short meeting with the guide
   - Dinner

2. Day 2 Day hike from Terchova village to Velky Rozsutec peak.

   - Breakfast
   - Hiking route: Terchova - Velky Rozsutec - Stefanova
   - Return to Terchova
   - Dinner
   
   Terchova - Velky Rozsutec - Stefanova (7 hrs)
   Terchova has the best location for the beginning of many walking trails to Mala Fatra Mountains. You can enjoy gorges of Dolne Diery and Horne Diery and Mala Fatra ridge with monumental top of Velky Rozsutec peak during a day tour.
   
   Route: Terchova - Dolne Diery - Velky Rozsutec - Vratna – Stefanova

   Walk's details (interactive map):

3. Day 3 Visit the Orava castle.

   - Breakfast
   - Car transfer to Oravsky Podzamok village
   - Orava castle visit
   - Return to Zilina
   - Dinner
   
   Orava castle lying on a high rock above Orava river near Oravsky Podzamok willage. In 1370, it became a county castle and the seat of the Orava castle estate, which included almost the whole region of Orava.

4. Day 4 Day hike from Sulov village to Sulov cliffs, waterfall and castle.

   - Breakfast
   - Car transfer to Sulov village
   - Hiking route: Sulov - Sulov castle
   - Return to Zilina
   - Dinner
   
   Sulov - Sulov castle (4 hrs)
   We will visit Sulovske Skaly (Sulov cliffs), where rock formations create a "rock city". The area is a popular climbing ground for both Slovak and foreign rock climbers.
   Interesting landforms in form of rock towers, needles, windows and gates separated by deep waterless gorges, ravines and valleys are the results of action of rain, ice, and wind.
   Visitors can also admire the richest site of orchids in Slovakia, the Sulovsky waterfall and the ruins of the Sulov Castle.
   
   Route: Sulov - Sulov castle - Pod Rohacom - Sulov

   Walk's details (interactive map):

5. Day 5 Day hike through Maninska narrow.

   - Breakfast
   - Car transfer to Povazska Tepla village
   - Hiking route: Maninska tiesnava - Zaskalie - Pod Velkym Maninom
   - Return to Zilina
   - Dinner
   
   Maninska Tiesnava - Pod Velkym Maninom (3 hrs)
   Manin gorge (Maninska tiesnava), the narrowest canyon in Slovakia, is a strictly protected nature reserve with a large number of rock formations.
   As a matter of fact, the valley consists of two smaller narrows separated by a small basin. Ascending up the stream of Manin brook it is possible to follow the instructive path, which leads to another natural landmark, the Kostolecka narrow, with the tallest rock overhang in Slovakia and an impressive rubble cone.
   
   Route: Maninska tiesnava - Zaskalie - Pod Velkym Maninom - Maninska tiesnava

   Walk's details (interactive map):

6. Day 6 Visit the ruins of Lietava castle. Possible to visit Rajecke Teplice spa town.

   - Breakfast
   - Car transfer to Lietava village
   - Hiking route: Lietava majer - Lietava castle
   - Possible to visit Rajecke Teplice spa
   - Return to Zilina
   - Dinner
   
   Lietava castle ruins is one of the largest and most visited Gothic castles of Slovakia from the 14th century.This medieval fort played an important role in the history of the north-western Slovakia. The castle was considered unconquerable in the Middle Ages and its estate included wide and far environs of the Rajec basin.
   
   Option: Rajecke Teplice spa - newly constructed compound of spa buildings furnished in antique style with the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. There is also a public swimming pool and a beautiful spa park in the area.

   Walk's details (interactive map):

7. Day 7 Strecno castle visit and rafting down the river Vah on wooden rafts.

   - Breakfast
   - Car transfer to Strecno village
   - rafting down the river Vah on wooden rafts
   - Strecno castle visit
   - Return to Zilina
   - Dinner
   
   Rafting down the river Vah on wooden rafts.
   The historical resources of the First Rafting Society, which provides rafting down the Vah River in this passage, say that the passage through Strecno was a real adventure for rafters, who were looking forward to it but were also afraid of it. Rafts were usually transported from Liptov, and after the rafters got round the rock cliffs called Margita a Besna, they continued in a trouble-free journey towards Danube river and further to the Black Sea.
   This rafting passage is 7 km long. The time it takes is different, depending on the water level, and the ride lasts from 50 to 75 minutes.
   
   Strecno castle - once the safest fort in the Povazie region. It was built in the 14th century to collect tolls and served as a watchtower.

8. Day 8 Farewell.

   - Breakfast
   - End of the tour

Basic information