Salaš Krajinka near Ružomberok

Salaš Krajinka is a genuine sheep farm on the edge of Ružomberok in lower Liptov. It was founded in 1983 to keep a thousand sheep, and the owners have deliberately preserved the original look of the salaš and its time-honoured shepherding traditions. Everything happens under one roof: the sheep graze close by, they are milked, and the milk is turned by hand into bryndza, oštiepok and other cheeses that you can taste and buy on the spot. According to the owners they use no preservatives and do not supply any retail chain — their products can be bought only here.

Liptov has long been one of the centres of Slovak cheese-making. As the farm tells it, Liptov bryndza was known far beyond the region as early as the 18th century: it was packed into small wooden tubs called gelety, floated on rafts down the Váh to Sereď and carried on from there to Vienna, where even members of the imperial family grew fond of it. Since then bryndza has become part of the traditional Slovak table, although for a long time it remained a rather costly food.

What to see and do

• See salaš life up close. Visitors can watch the flock, the grazing, the milking and the traditional hand processing of sheep’s milk.
• Buy cheese in the farm shop. The range includes fresh and smoked sheep’s cheese, oštiepok, fresh and smoked korbáčiky, parenica, cheese “strings”, garlic and smoked cheese sticks, bryndza, žinčica (sour sheep’s whey), home-made butter and cheese cakes to order.
• Have lunch overlooking the sheepfold. The restaurant sits in the former stable, and a large glass wall lets you watch the sheep and lambs. The menu features bryndza soup, fried sheep’s cheese, lamb perkelt stew and, of course, bryndzové halušky.
• Look into the bakery, where home-made pagáče and sweet buns are baked from the farm’s own produce.
• Historic tractor exhibition — free entry, daily 9:00–19:00; fun for children and adults alike.
• Souvenirs. The farm sells a wooden bryndza tub with its logo, a črpák cup for žinčica, the traditional shepherd’s hatchet (valaška) and hand-made wooden spoons.

Practical information

Getting there. The salaš stands right by the main road about 2 km from Ružomberok in the direction of Martin, so the easiest way is by car — it makes a handy stop between Liptov and Turiec. You can walk from the town centre, but mostly along a busy road.

Opening hours (as of October 2026, according to the farm): restaurant daily 10:00–21:00; cheese shop daily 8:00–21:00; bakery daily 8:00–18:00. At Easter they keep normal hours; at Christmas 2025 the restaurant was closed on 24 and 25 December.

Payment. Cards are accepted in the cheese shop and the bakery, while the restaurant takes cash only; meal vouchers are not accepted.

The salaš suits families with children: animals, tractors and simple bryndza dishes make it a good break on a trip around Liptov. Organised groups and travel agencies are asked to book in advance via a separate number.

Nearby

• Vlkolínec — a UNESCO-listed mountain village above Ružomberok.
• Likava Castle — fortress ruins above the village of Likavka.
• URSUS craft brewery in the Čutkovská valley — Ružomberok’s first brewery.
• Salaš Dechtáre above Liptovská Mara — bryndzové halušky since 1959.

Official website: salaskrajinka.sk

Photos: salaskrajinka.sk.