Holiday apartment in Oravská Lesná: narrow-gauge switchback railway and winter sports

The Oravská lesná železnica is one of the few preserved narrow-gauge switchback railways in the world and a unique technical monument. The journey to the Sedlo Beskyd mountain station covers three kilometres and takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes; near the station, a viewing tower offers panoramic views of the Orava landscape.

Nature and trails

The Náučný chodník Oravská Lesná begins in the centre of Oravská Lesná and offers three walking routes. Along the nature trail, there are 40 information panels on natural history, forestry and nature conservation. The forestry Náučný chodník Oravská Lesná is more than four kilometres long. Route 1 is accessible to people with disabilities, bicycles and pushchairs.

The recommended route to the Kaplnka Sedembolestnej Panny Márie can be completed by bicycle in approximately 45 minutes. Access by car to the remote destinations in the forest, including the Kaplnka Sedembolestnej Panny Márie, is prohibited; they should be visited by bicycle. The viewing platform is accessible to visitors and passing hikers all year round. It has three floors and is twelve metres high.

Culture and history

At the Tanečník station, the Remeselný dom presents various crafts typical of Orava. St. Anne’s Church is designated as a national cultural monument. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Anne in Oravská Lesná was built in 1914 in the modern Art Nouveau style.

The statue of the Madonna and Child is a national cultural monument. The statue of the Madonna and Child in Oravská Lesná was erected in 1820 as a votive offering after the end of a plague epidemic. A Stations of the Cross was erected and consecrated next to the Kaplnka Sedembolestnej Panny Márie in 2022. The Chapel of Divine Mercy stands on the site of the first wooden church in Oravská Lesná, which was built in 1739 as a church dedicated to St. Anne.

At the Sedlo Beskyd station, the “Gorali včera a dnes” exhibition presents the lifestyle and housing of the Gorals. It also covers their traditional folk architecture, costumes, calendar customs and family customs. The Oravská lesná železnica is connected to Oravská Lesná by an approximately six-kilometre-long paved side road.

Winter

The Orava Snow winter sports centre in Oravská Lesná has two lifts and seven runs with a total length of 8.5 kilometres. Orava Snow also has five kilometres of cross-country skiing tracks. The Lyžiarska škola Yeti offers skiing and snowboarding lessons for children and adults, as well as beginners and advanced skiers.

Stars

At the Hvezdáreň u pána Mojmíra in Oravská Lesná, visitors can observe stars and, under exceptional circumstances, planets as well. The Hvezdáreň has several astronomical telescopes, including the largest amateur astronomical telescope in Slovakia and the second-largest telescope in Slovakia. Visits to the Hvezdáreň u pána Mojmíra by school classes or visitor groups must be arranged in advance.

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Other places in the same destination area: Hruštín, Novot, Bobrov, Rabčice, Sihelne, Oravská Polhora, Oravské Veselé, Námestovo.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Námestovo.