Salaš Orlové near Považská Bystrica: cheese, bryndza, žinčica

A real salaš without the stage set

Orlové is a part of the town of Považská Bystrica on the left bank of the Váh, at the foot of hills that rise into the Strážov Hills. On the slopes above it, among old orchards and meadows, stands the salaš of the Balušík family. It is a small family business that since 1998 has been keeping sheep and making and selling pure sheep’s-milk salaš products. The owners stress that they do everything the traditional way to keep the quality proven over the years, while meeting strict hygiene standards.

The salaš is not a tourist restaurant but a working place. A flock of white sheep grazes the meadows, lambs appear in the fold in spring, and in a small stainless-steel cheese room the morning and evening milk is turned into lump cheese. This is how the salaše of the Váh valley lived for centuries: the bača (head shepherd) and his helpers milked the sheep, the milk was set to curdle, and the fresh cheese was sold or taken to bryndza dairies. According to the owners, their products have been tasted not only all over Slovakia and Czechia but also in the USA, Germany, China and Australia.

Why go

• Buy cheese at milking time. The salaš is open to customers three times a day — morning, afternoon and evening — exactly when the sheep are milked. Come in the evening and you may see the flock returning from pasture.
• Taste žinčica. The sour whey drink left over from cheese-making is the truest taste of a salaš; drink it fresh.
• Rest in the shade. By the salaš there is a timber shelter and tables under the trees where you can sit after shopping.

How lump cheese is born

The method on salaše has hardly changed in centuries. Freshly drawn sheep’s milk is strained and set with rennet; within half an hour it thickens, and the cheesemaker breaks the curd into small grains. The curd is then gathered by hand into a single lump, pressed and hung in cloth so that the whey drains away. The remaining whey becomes žinčica. For a few days the lump ripens and sours, and the ripened cheese, ground with salt, becomes bryndza.

What to taste and buy

The range is simple and honest: fresh lump sheep’s cheese, smoked sheep’s cheese, bryndza, žinčica and, in spring, lamb. Fresh cheese is best eaten within a few days or left to ripen for home-made bryndza; smoked cheese travels well. Prices are not published on the website — you will find out on the spot.

Practical information

Getting there. The salaš lies on the edge of Orlové, south of the centre of Považská Bystrica (a few kilometres). The owners say it is easy to reach by bike, motorbike or car along a signposted road; GPS: 49.13674, 18.43255. A dirt track leads from the road to the salaš, so the walk is short and easy, suitable for families with children.

Hours (as of October 2026): in season the salaš is open Monday to Saturday three times a day: 8:00–9:00, 15:00–17:00 and 20:00–21:00. The 2026 season has already ended, so the next chance is in spring 2027; call Róbert Balušík before you go: +421 905 512 991. The salaš also posts news on Facebook.

Nearby

• Považský hrad — castle ruins on a rock above the town.
• Manín Gorge and the Súľov Rocks — natural wonders of the Strážov Hills a dozen or so kilometres away.
• Salaš Pružina — another sheep farm of the Strážov Hills with a farm shop.

Official website: salasorlove.sk

Photos: salasorlove.sk.