Valašská Polanka: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Valašská Polanka lies in the valley of the Senice River. The western part of the cadastral area lies at the foot of the Vizovice Highlands; the right bank of the Senice belongs to the Javorníky Mountains and the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area. A road and a railway line connecting Moravia with Slovakia run through Valašská Polanka.

Hiking and Cycling

Marked hiking trails from Valašská Polanka lead to the ridges of the Vizovice Highlands and eastwards to the border ridge of the Javorníky Mountains. The surrounding area is suitable for easy hikes, mountain bike tours and cross-country skiing in winter.

A regular event is the Pochod okolo Polanky, a traditional summer hiking day held on 5 July through Valašská Polanka and its surroundings, with beautiful views and several refreshment stations.

At the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Valašská Polanka, an approximately 2 km walk to the swing at Sulačov can begin. Sulačov offers views of the Senice valley towards Vsetín, as well as of the Javorníky Mountains and the Vizovice Highlands.

The route from Valašská Polanka to the Hutsuls and back is recommended for hiking, cycling and mountain biking in challenging mountainous terrain. A cycling tour on the BEVLAVA cycle path begins in Valašská Polanka and follows the Senice River towards Prlov.

The 7 km-long Vartovna educational trail has seven stops and presents sights and the history of Seninka, Valašská Polanka and other places along the route.

Nature

A preserved wetland ecosystem can be found at Neratov Pond in the nearby area. Rare and specially protected aquatic invertebrates and amphibians occur there.

Culture and History

The Church of Saint John the Baptist in Valašská Polanka was consecrated in 1778. In front of the church stands a stone cross from 1779 bearing the coat of arms of the Counts Illésházy; it is listed as a cultural monument.

The church contains a small bell from 1720, the so-called umíráček. It probably once belonged to a bell tower marked on old maps of Polanka.

Above the Valašská Polanka railway station stands a wooden cross erected in 1948 and restored around the turn of the century by the children of the Mikušek couple from Pasekary in their memory. The village also has a monument to the fallen of the First World War from 1934 and a monument to the fallen of the Second World War from 1947.

Residents of Valašská Polanka and Lužná presented the tradition of the Valašská svatba at ethnographic exhibitions in Vsetín in 1892 and in Prague in 1895.

Festivals and Traditions

The parish pilgrimage of Valašská Polanka is celebrated on the Sunday closest to 24 June. The Hody festival traditionally takes place every year on the third weekend of October and commemorates the consecration of the local church in 1778.

The tradition of the starovalašská dožatá is also still alive in Valašská Polanka today.

Local Highlights

Valašská Polanka has a local coffee roastery where visitors can stop for a coffee. Slaughterhouse specialities are sold at the local fire station.

More local pages on the portal: Valasske Mezirici, Wesetin, Choryně, Dolni Becva, Jarcová, Zašová, Lidečko, Jablůnka.

To the higher-level travel overview: Vsetín District.