Straník

Straník is a summit 769 m high in the Kysuce Highlands of northern Slovakia, about 5 km east of Žilina. It rises distinctly above the Žilina basin, which is why it is sometimes called the “roof of Žilina”. On the north-western slope, up to about 590 m, lies Zástranie, an outlying part of Žilina, and around the foot are the villages of Kotrčiná Lúčka, Nededza and Teplička nad Váhom. The Kia car plant stands below the southern slope. The massif belongs to the Pieniny Klippen Belt, and the hill is best known as one of the oldest centres of motorless flight in Slovakia.

Getting there / routes

The summit is easy to reach: an access road leads from Zástranie almost to the top, and part of it is followed by the yellow trail (KST 8657) from Teplička nad Váhom via Zástranie. The climb from Zástranie is small — about 180 m of height. Walkers can easily combine Straník with neighbouring Malý Straník (624 m).

What you can see from the summit

The summit has patchy forest, but the best views open from the mountain meadows below it, especially the clearing on the western slope used as a paragliding launch. From there you can see the surrounding hills of the Kysuce Highlands, part of the Žilina basin, the Malá Fatra, the Strážov and Súľov Mountains, the Javorníky, and partly the Kysuce Beskids and Orava Magura.

Nature and history

The northern part of the massif is built of sandstone, conglomerate and claystone (flysch), the southern part mainly of marl and marly shale. The northern and eastern slopes drain through the Kotrčiná stream to the Váh, the north-western ones through the Snežnica to the Kysuca. Neighbouring summits are Malý Straník and Dubeň to the west and Veľký Vreteň (820 m) and Ľadonhora (999 m) to the north.

The position and shape of the hill attracted people in prehistory. One of the largest hillforts of the Žilina basin — about 6 ha, protected by massive ramparts on the north — has been found on the summit. It was in use in the Late Bronze Age (1250–1000 BC) and the Late Iron Age, reaching into Roman times; a hoard of Celtic coins was also found here.

In 1934 instructor Štefan Pleško soared for half an hour over Straník in a Zlín V glider and became the first glider pilot in Slovakia with the “C” badge. The hill soon became one of the most sought-after gliding sites in Czechoslovakia, and today it is an important centre of paragliding and hang gliding with two launch sites. Two lattice masts (18 and 30 m) on the summit carry television, radio and mobile transmitters for Žilina.

Safety, season and rules

The hill is low and suitable for walks all year, but the slopes below the launch sites are steep — keep out of the way of paragliders taking off. Do not enter the fenced transmitter area. In winter the road can be icy. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Photos: Juloml, CC BY-SA 4.0; Pe3kZA, CC BY 3.0; Adrian Tync, CC BY-SA 4.0; Pe3kZA, CC BY-SA 4.0; Vegetator, CC BY-SA 4.0; Juloml, CC BY-SA 4.0; Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons.