Raková farm in Kysuce: bryndza, žinčica and cheese cakes

A farm in upper Kysuce

Kysuce is a hilly region in north-western Slovakia, near the Polish and Czech borders, with scattered hillside hamlets (“kopanice”) and an old tradition of keeping livestock on mountain meadows. Raková lies in a valley west of Čadca, and on its green slopes a farm known locally as Farma Raková has been working since 1993. It is one of the largest agricultural holdings in upper Kysuce: it keeps cattle, sheep, pigs, laying hens and Landes geese, and some of its fields are sown for its own fodder.

For travellers, the most interesting part is its own cheese dairy. Cheese and bryndza are made from the milk of the farm’s own cows and sheep — without preservatives or chemicals, as the owners stress. The farm’s dairy products have repeatedly won awards at regional and national competitions, placing among the top three. The sheep side of the farm also raises lambs for the Easter market.

Bryndza — a soft, slightly salty sheep’s cheese made by grinding lump cheese — is more than a product in Slovakia; it is a national symbol: since 2008 “Slovenská bryndza” has carried an EU protected geographical indication. It is the base of bryndzové halušky, so buying fresh bryndza at a farm in season is the best way to recreate the dish at home.

Why go

• Buy cheese right in the farmyard. The shop stands directly in the yard of the farm — it does not get fresher.
• Taste sheep’s products in season. From May to about October, while the sheep are milked, 100% sheep’s bryndza, sheep’s cheese and žinčica — a soured whey drink — are on sale.
• Have a home-style lunch. The farm runs its own 40-seat canteen serving traditional home cooking; a lunch costs €6.50. Small family celebrations can be held there too.

What to taste and buy

Cow’s and sheep’s cheeses, bryndza, milk and žinčica are sold in 200, 300 and 500 g packs, and larger quantities can be ordered for weddings and parties. A special line is cheese cakes built from braided cheese strings, small parenica rolls and cheese flowers, decorated with berries and anniversary numbers: cow’s-milk cheese €20 per kilo, sheep’s (in season) €22 per kilo. You can also take home classic Kysuce treats — smoked and unsmoked cheese strings.

Practical information

Address: Raková 683, 023 51 Raková (Čadca district, Žilina Region). A few kilometres west of Čadca along the valley, about 35 km from Žilina. The farm is right in the village with paved access; no mountain walking is needed.

Hours (as of October 2026): Monday–Friday 8:00–12:00 and 12:30–16:00, Saturday 8:00–12:00, closed Sunday. Cheese dairy +421 905 511 319, office +421 41 434 16 61. The farm posts news on Facebook and Instagram. In summer 2026 it also sold its own poultry, which sold out so fast that new sale dates had to be announced.

Nearby

• Čadca — the centre of Kysuce and a starting point for trails into the Javorníky and the Turzovka Highlands.
• Kysuce Forest Railway at Vychylovka — a narrow-gauge line in the Kysuce valley, popular with families.
• The kopanice hamlets — scattered farmsteads on the slopes around Raková and Stará Bystrica.

Official website: uniconkysuce.sk

Photos: uniconkysuce.sk.