Kysuce is the north-western-most protected landscape area in Central Slovakia.

Understand

Historically one of the poorer regions, it's recovering thanks to car manufacturing, skiing and cross-country possibilities.

The oldest known settlement in the Kysuce region is Kysucké Nové Mesto, which was first mentioned in 1321 as a toll-collecting place, which was part of a trade route between Žilina and Těšín via Jablunkov Pass, but otherwise the region was relatively uninhabited.

Kysuce region began to be settled in the 16th and 17th centuries at the time of Valach colonization. The new inhabitants were mostly Slovaks, from foreign settlers Rusyns, Poles and Romanians, but also Czechs and Germans. Many towns were established first around this time, for example Čadca in 1572. Many people live in small villages or lone cottages in the mountains (which are called kopanice).

Get in

From Slovakia, a detour from Žilina or Bytča is the most common access point.

Roads from Czech Republic (Ostrava, Frýdek-Místek) or Poland (Bielsko-Biala) arrive here.

Get around

Today main towns in the Kysuce region are 1 Kysucké Nové Mesto, 2 Čadca and 3NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Turzovka.

See

Train of Museum of Kysuce village

• 1 Museum of Kysuce village (In the Vychylovka village). An open-air museum with unique (operational) narrow-gauge forest railway. (updated Nov 2016)
• 2NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Korňanský ropný prameň. Natural headspring of crude oil, accompanied with irregular headspring of methane. (updated Nov 2016)
• 3 Stone balls in Javorníky. (updated Nov 2016)
• 4NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Slovenský Orloj (Slovak Astronomical Clock) (In Stará Bystrica). (updated Nov 2017)
• 5 Historical Logging Switchback Railway. May-October. A preserved and operated part of the former Kysucko-Orava forest railway . From a technical point of view, it is interesting due to the headland system , which made it possible to overcome a large height difference in a short distance. A train runs on the route Skanzen - Sedlo Beskyd. (updated Jan 2024)

Do

Visit protected areas in the surroundings:

• Horná Orava
• Javorníky
• Beskydy in the Czech Republic
• Zywiecki park Krajobrazowy in Poland

Skiing:

• 1 Veľká Rača (Get there from Osčadnica village.). A very well equipped ski center, also providing routes for cross-country skiing. In the summer, easy (2-hr) hiking trails are availabe. (updated Nov 2017)

Go next

• Orava or Žilina regions in Slovakia.

• Poland and Czech Republic.