Orava

Orava’s lovely, Orava’s healthy...

That’s the beginning of the most famous Orava folk song and definitely the song is right!!! Orava is a mountainous region situated in northern Slovakia. It is bordered by Poland, The Western Tatra mountains, The Chocske mountains, The Small and The High Fatra mountains. Orava is known as a beautiful land with magnificent scenery. The crystal clear Orava river, which is considered the most beautiful river in Slovakia, flows through this region.

The region offers a range of tourist activities such as: excursions, hiking, skiing, yachting and other water sports such as: windsurfing, canoeing, swimming and rafting. 

In this picturesque region there are a lot of historical and cultural sites. The most famous is Orava castle, which is situated on a cliff overlooking the river Orava, in the village of Oravsky Podzamok. The region of Orava is well known for its folklore and traditions. There are many places where you can find well-preserved traditional wooden houses. During your stay in Orava don’t forget to visit the beautiful wooden churches in Lestine, Istebne and Tvrdosin. The Traditional Museum of the Orava Village in Zuberec is a real jewel of folk architecture. There you can find a typical old village of Orava from the 19th and 20th century.

In winter the Orava region offers excellent skiing conditions. The Rohace Mountains, part of the Western Tatras, has the longest ski season in the region. You can ski there till late spring. There are very good conditions also for cross-country skiers, who, while skiing on well-maintained tracks, can discover and admire lovely new places in Orava.