SNOW Paradise Veľká Rača Oščadnica is a mid-sized ski resort located just 25 kilometres north of Žilina The resort boasts a respectable 420 metres of skiable vertical and has snowmaking on 100 percent of its terrain Just under a three-hour drive from Bratislava Snow Paradise is quickly becoming one of Slovakia's most popular weekend destinations for winter sports enthusiasts Total uphill capacity: 8,000 persons per hour Website: www.velkaraca.skphoto: www.millan.sk SNOW Paradise Veľká Rača Oščadnica is a mid-sized ski resort located just 25 kilometres north of Žilina the resort spreads across three valleys and is serviced by two new four-person chairs and a double chair including a 2,350-metre long intermediate trail and two expert runs Beginners will find a learning area complete with a designated learning lift as well as several top-to-bottom beginner runs The Dedovka valley offers night skiing on a 1,400-metre long slope from 17:00 to 21:00 every day and the Marguška base area has a new terrain park for snowboarders Snow Paradise's season runs from December to mid April Day tickets cost Sk650 (€16) and night tickets Sk290 (€7.2) The Skibus company runs a convenient motor coach service from Bajkalská station in Bratislava to Snow Paradise The Sk870 (€21,30) package includes a round trip bus ticket and a day ski pass Buses depart Bratislava at 6:00 and return thirty minutes after the lifts close Snow Paradise rents lockers for Sk20 (€0.5) to day trippers who wish to store their street clothes while skiing Chaty (huts) along the slopes offer hearty and pirohy s bryndzou (pirogies filled with sheep cheese) Those who wish to spend the night at the resort may stay at five nearby guest houses Prices range from Sk450-850 (€11-21) a night There is also an extensive network of bed and breakfast establishments in the Oščadnica village with rooms for less than Sk400 (€10) a night see the Snow Paradise website listed above Snow Paradise offers a delightful snowshoe trail on the summit of Veľká Rača Oščadnica (1,236 meters) accessible by chairlift from the Laliky base The resort also has a network of cross-country ski trails Sightseers can visit Budatín Castle in the historic city of Žilina Not far from Žilina is the distinctive village of Čičmany a showcase of well-preserved Slovak folk architecture The thermal spa of Rajecké Teplice is also just 40 kilometres from the resort a rugged and hilly region in Slovakia’s northwest is known for its treacherous driving conditions With no motorway cutting through the landscape traffic often crawls along the main route to Poland a vital corridor yet one sorely lacking in infrastructure one must step away from the congestion and embrace the slower winding roads that weave through valleys and past remote settlements That’s exactly what we set out to do Setting off in the early evening to avoid the notorious jams we arrived two and a half hours later in Oščadnica Our arrival in the village centre is marked by the church in the square and we check into the Centrál Guesthouse greets us personally at the reception desk He has been involved in the tourism industry for nearly 30 years "I started by helping my father in his guesthouse restaurant but eventually I became independent and have run my own guesthouse for 25 years It’s essentially a family business—my wife works here and my daughter and son also lend a hand," Robert Kopera shares For many foreigners tracing their Slovak heritage, finding the burial sites of their ancestors is a deeply personal journey. To aid in this quest, we have provided maps of the districts we visited, with every cemetery carefully marked. Here you can find cemeteries in Kysuce region prompting us to ask about the winter season Kopera admits it had been weak due to a lack of snow Kysuce once attracted many skiers to the nearby Snowparadise Veľká Rača Oščadnica ski resort Kopera recalls that in the 1990s and early 2000s Polish media warned tourists about rising prices This downturn forced many village guesthouses to close as Polish tourists had been their primary customers "The loss of Polish visitors was disastrous for us we wouldn’t have survived," Kopera says While some Poles are starting to return to Oščadnica Poland has successfully developed its own ski lifts just across the border modern ski resorts in Poland now feature an aquapark as a key attraction Kopera has been working to attract guests to his newly completed wellness centre which was finished just before the Covid-19 pandemic his investments did not yield returns in the initial years forcing him to put plans for room renovations on hold "An aquapark would be particularly beneficial for us because people enjoy relaxing there they could spend the entire day using the facilities," says Kopera The idea of a water park has sparked discussions among several local entrepreneurs the primary goal should be to attract more Polish tourists to Kysuce Their advantage lies in a different mentality compared to Slovaks Kopera points out that Poland offers a wide range of activities even outside the peak season it can feel rather quiet outside the winter months He notes that Slovak and Czech tourists often bring their own food and drinks when staying in accommodation For Kysuce to become a popular tourist destination the government or local authorities need to launch a strong marketing campaign—something that Kopera believes that a tourist who enjoys mountains and cycling could easily spend a week in Kysuce He sees the greatest potential in expanding the network of cycling routes During our visit to the ski slope in Oščadnica The slope has very little snow—only a narrow strip surrounded by brown meadows Slovakia's territory has been part of different monarchies throughout history including the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867 until 1918 with the exception of the inter-war years 1939-1945 during which the Nazi-aligned Slovak state existed the territory was a part of Czechoslovakia the current names of Slovak municipalities are different than during that era Here's a list of the largest municipalities in Kysuce region with their historical names stated in the brackets: Krásno nad Kysucou - Karásznó Kysucké Nové Mesto - Kiszucaújhely Raková - Trencsénrákó The full list of all Slovak municipalities, including their historical names, can be found at www.geni.sk (in Slovak only) significantly affecting businesses that depend on skiers One such entrepreneur is Július Gánoczy owner of the Športcentrum ski resort in Oščadnica and the Gájuz guesthouse Július believes the decline in Polish visitors is also due to the deteriorating quality of the ski resort in Veľká Rača ownership of the resort has frequently changed; ticket prices have risen but the quality of the lifts and services has not improved accordingly having served as head of the Veľká Rača resort in the 1990s He left his position due to disagreement over privatising it Kopera confirms that the Snowparadise Veľká Rača ski resort is stagnating it’s the opposite—we are trying to attract them to go skiing," he adds Ganóczy believes the introduction of the euro and higher prices have not deterred Poles from visiting Slovakia Ganóczy argues that poorer services in Slovakia "The Poles have made effective use of EU funds; they didn’t misuse them They built cable cars and improved services such as ski schools their prices are approximately 20 percent lower than ours," he explains the number of Polish visitors to Slovakia has declined despite the fact that they accounted for 90 percent of his clients at the start of the millennium Czech visitors have also reduced their numbers since the division of Czechoslovakia and now tend to appear more as hikers than skiers Oščadnica has always depended on skiing for its livelihood but when the skiing season does not go well "There used to be private accommodation in every other house but that is no longer the case," he notes highlighting the village’s current situation He believes that an aquapark will not be a solution for Kysuce which remains the foundation of local businesses he expects to serve cyclists as the number of cycle paths in Kysuce increases the hilly terrain is not ideal for families He recommends the cycle path through Bystrická Valley which runs from Krásno to Vychylovka and was built on a former railway line he offered cart rides on the ski slope during the summer and electric cars in the car park were unpopular "It wasn’t profitable," he reflects sees the future of small ski resorts as bleak due to mild winters and a lack of successors he does not pressure his daughters to take over "It doesn’t work here like in Austria I’ll probably sell it," he muses we are awakened by the ringing of the church bell so we have to scrape the ice off the car windows but we’re excited that the ski lifts are operational Following the helpful advice of the owner of the Centrál guesthouse we avoid the often congested route through Čadca and instead take the quieter road via Skalité This border village stretches out long and narrow we arrive in Čierne and head to the municipal office to meet the mayor Peter Staňo greets us as he sees off a previous guest who previously ran a wood and furniture business where he inherited his parents’ house so it’s possible," Staňo explains he thought he could balance being mayor with his business but I eventually began to enjoy being mayor," he recalls He is well aware of the conditions in the three countries whose borders meet near Čierne allowing him to make effective comparisons he believes that tourism in Slovakia is lagging behind that of the Czech Republic and Poland which exceeded the municipality’s budget tenfold and lighting along the Trojmedzie area," recalls Staňo a farm located in the Trojmedzie area on the Czech side of the border What was once an area rarely visited due to poor access has gradually transformed into one of the top 10 most visited places in the Moravian-Silesian Region is not being properly harnessed in Slovakia Staňo points to the Polish village of Istebna Slovakia has only a fraction of such facilities the claim that Poles have stopped visiting Slovakia due to higher prices is merely an excuse What matters more to them is the quality of service which we have neglected," he explains Since service quality in Poland has improved Poles lagged behind us in terms of services but today they are miles ahead," the mayor states He adds that there is now a noticeable gap between Poland and the Czech Republic on one side in terms of the breadth and quality of tourist services Kysuce has attractions to offer tourists; it simply needs to improve its services to compete with its neighbours The lack of progress can be attributed to the inability of Slovak entrepreneurs to effectively access EU funds This is not due to their own shortcomings but rather a result of Slovak bureaucracy which included a fence with a camera trap to protect my sheep from wolves," Staňo shares While almost everyone in Hrčava has EU-funded tractors the same cannot be said for those in Čierne Staňo also raises concerns about the proposal to build an aquapark to attract tourists to Kysuce so an aquapark will be of little benefit without those essentials," he argues tourism is about more than just accommodation It requires a whole system of interconnected services The Kysuce region is facing challenges as traditional agriculture and sheep farming continue to decline Staňo believes that the future of tourism lies in agrotourism he has founded events such as the Spring Bull Festival and BačaFest which showcase traditional shepherding ceremonies including the practice of driving sheep out to pasture where sheep numbers have risen from just a few dozen to thousands in recent years Staňo also highlights how unnecessarily strict hygiene regulations hinder the sale of cheese from mountain farms to tourists "I have a modern cheese factory on the Czech side but I can’t invite people to buy cheese from me due to hygiene regulations," Staňo explains selling cheese in a traditional cheese hut is not permitted because it fails to meet hygiene standards—whereas in Poland Slovakia has the strictest hygiene regulations among the three countries yet there is no support for the production of traditional cheese or bryndza (a type of soft sheep’s cheese) "It’s no wonder we have to import bryndza from Poland and milk from Romania," Staňo adds He believes that if municipalities speed up their use of EU funds and enhance their marketing efforts "We need to attract visitors from across the border because domestic tourists alone will not be enough to sustain us," he emphasises Spring and summer are the most beautiful seasons for those who like to sit in nature and enjoy the view of fields with beautiful flowers listening to the buzzing of bees and the concert of crickets has been preparing for the main season since early spring It opened for the public on the first weekend of July Find out more about region of folklore, national parks and modern attractions in our Žilina Region Travel Guide In addition to couples in love from all over Slovakia who came to take romantic photos in a floral still life visitors from all over the world also admired the beauty of the colourful carpets visitors could often hear the sounds of various musical instruments because this place was chosen as a backdrop for videos by musicians from a wide area "The meadow experienced more visitors than we ever expected This year we did the sowing a little later The holidays and the summer season will be the ideal time for a visit," announced Martina Kucharčíková from the Hope for the Future Civic Association "You will be transported from the dense built-up area to the sensuality of our country either through scents or the vibrancy of colourful flowers," she described But even this romantic place did not escape a fight with invasive plants and weeds spreading everywhere Specialists from the gardening centre in Oščadnica rolled up their sleeves and started dealing with tall weeds that almost completely engulfed the field of poppies It will be dominated by a purple carpet of lavender flowers and red wild poppies The lower part of the meadow will be beautified by annuals and along the sides we have planted more than a hundred hydrangeas so that the meadow will once again take on a different look they are just small plants that will gradually grow and the visitors will see the full-fledged result next year but there will be something to look at," specified Kucharčíková Gardeners looking after the magical meadow have many plans for the future which will remain red poppies and lavender they want to show people other interesting plants We want to keep the meadow always blooming and attractive their flowering can also be at different times so we have to adapt," said Kucharčíková adding that the main goal is for people to draw energy from nature enjoy the beauty of colours and scents of plants various interesting design features and props for taking photos we would like to plant two dominant trees and place rose gates allocate places where families with children can have a picnic and spend a pleasant day here we plan to self-harvest lavender in the coming years and we would also like to start processing various products Our secret dream is that somewhere nearby there will be beehives with bees to make magical honey from the magical meadow," concluded Kucharčíková A helping hand in the heart of Europe thanks to the Slovakia travel guide with more than 1,000 photos and hundreds of tourist spots A 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Impossible with our City Guide Tourists will soon feast their eyes on flower carpets of violet lavender The village Oščadnica in northern Slovakia will soon have a new attraction for tourists: a meadow full of colourful flowers I have never encountered a multi-colour meadow,” said Marián Kucharčík from the garden centre which is in charge of the upkeep of the meadow They picked the flowers based on the desired results Creators of the idea divided it to four sectors The first sector will be violet from lavender where people will have a chance to become familiar with their effects “Let’s see how much this drought will intervene with growth a beautiful consistent meadow,” Kucharčík said The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.skSubscribe now for full access Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail) PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk