Raková between nature, culture and holiday apartment

Raková brings together culture, protected nature and marked trails within a compact area rich in stories. Every year, the Palárikova Raková festival takes place in the village, a competition showcasing amateur theatre groups. At the same time, trails lead into the landscape around Veľký Polom and Medvedia skala, while the church and memorial room provide insights into the area’s cultural history.

Culture

The Palárikova Raková festival is part of the village’s recurring cultural calendar. At this event, amateur theatre groups perform in a competition showcase. The church Kostol Narodenia Panny Márie in Raková provides another cultural highlight. It is a Neo-Gothic church built between 1870 and 1874 according to a design by the architect J. Zítko.

Inside is an altarpiece depicting the birth of the Virgin Mary. It was created by J. B. Klemens in 1879. The history of the local culture also includes the Ján Palárik Memorial Room in the cultural centre building. The exhibition “JÁN PALÁRIK – ŽIVOT A DIELO” can be viewed there. Visiting the memorial room requires a prior agreement with the Raková municipal office.

Nature

The Veľký Polom nature reserve lies within the cadastral area of Raková. Its summit reaches 1,067 metres and is protected on both sides of the border as a nature reserve with the fifth level of protection. Medvedia skala is located in the same landscape, a surviving rock monolith approximately the size of a multi-storey house.

The two natural landmarks feature in the described trails in different roles: Veľký Polom is a destination on the blue-marked hiking trail, while Medvedia skala lies on a cross-border route. The size reference for Medvedia skala remains an approximate classification; it describes the rock in comparison with the size of a multi-storey house.

Trails

From Raková-Korcháňovci, a blue-marked hiking trail leads to Veľký Polom over approximately 5.4 kilometres and two hours. The distance and duration should be understood as approximate figures. Another access point is Raková-Korcháň: the access to Medvedia skala from there is described as easy and well marked. The approximate 5.4 kilometres and two hours indicate the described scope of the access from Raková-Korcháňovci, while the access from Raková-Korcháň to Medvedia skala is explicitly described as easy and well marked.

Cyclists will also find a clearly named connection. The Cyklotrasa vzájomnosti begins in the centre of Raková and leads around Medvedia skala to the Tetřev viewpoint in the Czech Republic. The route therefore names both the starting point in the village centre and the rock monolith, as well as the destination across the border. The route and the hiking trail place the natural landmarks in two different trail contexts.

Other places

The following places are also available for further destination selection: Makov, Turzovka, Čadca, Vysoká Nad Kysucou, Klokočov, Krásno Nad Kysucou, Nová Bystrica and Oščadnica .

For the overarching travel overview: Čadca.