Holiday apartment in Prosiek – Nature and Culture in Prosiecka dolina

Prosiek lies below the eastern part of the Chočské vrchy at the outlet of Prosiecka dolina. This is a 3.5 km-long karst valley in the Chočské vrchy and emerges near Prosiek. The landscape, paths and historical traces form a closely connected local and valley setting here. As a result, geological formations, marked paths and various testimonies to the history of settlement and construction meet in the immediate surroundings of the village.

Nature

At the end of Prosiek, near the entrance to Prosiecka dolina, there is a paid parking lot. It serves as a starting point for hikers and visitors to the valley. Prosiek and Kvačany serve as starting points for Prosiecka dolina and Kvačianska dolina. Thus, both valleys are accessible from two named villages, while access to Prosiecka dolina begins directly at the edge of Prosiek.

The educational trail through Prosiecka dolina and Kvačianska dolina comprises 12 stations with information panels on geographical, biological and historical topics. The two valleys can also be connected on a circular route: The route leads from Prosiek via Veľké Borové, Oblazy and Kvačany, is about 17.6 km long and has almost 700 m of elevation gain. This circular route through Prosiecka dolina and Kvačianska dolina can be completed in one day. Its defined sequence connects the two valleys with the named villages and intermediate stops; its length and elevation gain make the scope of the day tour clear.

Geographical setting

Its location at the outlet of Prosiecka dolina makes Prosiek a place where the transition between settlement and karst valley is an immediate part of the landscape. The blue-marked cycle route no. 2407 runs directly through Prosiek. It is about 2.8 km long and follows field and forest paths. In addition to access to the valley, the local network of paths therefore includes a short, blue-marked connection over different types of paths.

History

The Roman Catholic Church of St. Elizabeth in Prosiek was built around the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and was first mentioned in 1397. Its present form resulted from several later alterations: the church was extended in 1826, received a neoclassical façade design in 1880, and a western tower was added in 1927. The church thus displays its medieval origins together with several clearly dated later construction phases.

The manor house of Prosiek originally dates from the late 16th century and was later remodelled in the Classicist style. Another historical site lies at the entrance to Prosiecka dolina: The Hrádok archaeological site is protected as a national cultural monument and comprises fortifications from the Iron Age and the Middle Ages. The manor house and Hrádok complement the church history with a secular building and a fortified archaeological site containing evidence from two periods.

Prosiecka dolina itself also contains archaeological traces. Investigations near a cave and a spring uncovered a settlement from the Eneolithic period and a settlement from the later Roman Imperial period. The sites are therefore located in a landscape that preserves not only the form of a karst valley but also traces of various early settlement periods.

Other places

Other places to explore: Hybe, Vlachy, Liptovské Matiašovce, Dúbrava, Lubela, Liptovsky Jan, Pavčina Lehota, Liptovské Kľačany.

For the overview of the wider travel region: Liptovský Mikuláš District.