Zázrivá

Dolný Kubín District · Žilina region · Slovakia
Zázrivá — photo 1 Zázrivá — photo 2 Zázrivá — photo 3 Zázrivá — photo 4 Zázrivá — photo 5 6

Photos: Krumpi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jan Starec, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Andrej Krivulčík, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jan Starec, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Zázrivá is a village in the Dolný Kubín District of the Žilina region, northern Slovakia. It lies at an elevation of about 600 metres in the valleys of the Zázrivka river and its tributaries, on the border of the Żywiec Beskids and near the ranges of Malá Fatra, Kysucká vrchovina, and Oravská Magura. The area is surrounded by scenic mountains, making it an attractive spot for nature lovers.

The first written mention of Zázrivá dates back to 1556. The village was founded under Wallachian law and belonged to the estates of Orava Castle. In the 17th century, it suffered destruction but was later rebuilt and became one of the wealthier settlements in the region.

Zázrivá is known for its pastoral traditions, which continue to this day. The village is famous throughout Slovakia for producing Zázrivá korbáčiky — a traditional cheese made at the Syrex shepherd's hut. The area also attracts visitors with its preserved wooden architecture, picturesque valleys, and proximity to mountain ranges.

Visitors will find over 30 hiking trails in and around Zázrivá, such as "Zázrivá, centre – Talapkov Beskid", "Zázrivá, Havrania – Holia", and "Zázrivá, Kozinská – Hruštín". Mountain enthusiasts can climb Veľký Rozsutec or visit Jánošíkove diery, Terchová, and the Vrátna Valley. The Syrex shepherd's hut offers insight into traditional cheesemaking. For accommodation, there is the Chata na Grúni and the Vrátna hut.

Getting there from Ukraine

From Uzhhorod ≈275 km, ≈3 h 35 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 to Košice → D1 motorway via Prešov, Poprad and Liptovský Mikuláš to Ružomberok (≈270 km, ≈3 h 25 min from the border). From Lviv it is faster through Poland: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Kraków → S7/DK7 to the Chyżne – Trstená border → R3 and I/59 via Dolný Kubín to Ružomberok: ≈482 km, ≈6 h 15 min (via Uzhok and Ubľa ≈500 km, ≈7 h 30 min). The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk).

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia

Trails nearby

All trails
Kľak – TrstenáHardMulti-dayMarkedKľak TrstenáElevation profile354–1 668 m119.6 kmascent 7 565 munder 1 km from the centreZázrivá, center – Talapkov BeskydModerateTwo-dayMarkedZázrivá, center Talapkov BeskydElevation profile601–1 210 m19.3 kmascent 589 m≈ 6 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreDolina Bystrička, mouth – Zázrivá, BielaModerateOne-dayMarkedDolina Bystrička, mouth Zázrivá, BielaElevation profile446–1 161 m11.4 kmascent 718 m≈ 4.5 h walking3.2 km from the centrePríslop nad Bielou – Chrbát StohuEasyOne-dayMarkedPríslop nad Bielou Chrbát StohuElevation profile818–1 349 m6.2 kmascent 531 m≈ 2.5 h walking3.2 km from the centreZázrivá, Havrania – HoľaEasyOne-dayMarkedZázrivá, Havrania HoľaElevation profile678–1 067 m2.9 kmascent 389 m≈ 1.5 h walking3.3 km from the centreTerchová – Penzión RaciborHardMulti-dayMarkedTerchová Penzión RaciborElevation profile503–1 346 m41.2 kmascent 1 648 m≈ 13.5 h walking3.6 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
Malý RozsutecPeakMalý RozsutecTerchováaltitude 1 343 m5.1 km from the centre1 trail to the topMalý Rozsutec is a craggy limestone summit 1343 m high in the Malá Fatra (Lesser Fatra), Slovakia, in its Krivánska part.Veľký RozsutecPeakVeľký RozsutecTerchováaltitude 1 610 m6.4 km from the centre1 trail to the topVeľký Rozsutec (Polish Wielki Rozsutec) is a 1,609.8 m summit in the Malá Fatra, the most striking mountain of its Krivánska part and, according to Slovak sources, one...OsnicaPeakOsnicaPárnicaaltitude 1 363 m6.7 km from the centreOsnica is a 1363 m summit in the north-eastern part of the Lesser Fatra (Malá Fatra) in Slovakia, about 9 km west of Dolný Kubín.Minčol (Oravská Magura)PeakMinčol (Oravská Magura)Dolný Kubínaltitude 1 394 m6.8 km from the centre1 trail to the topMinčol is the highest peak of the Oravská Magura range in northern Slovakia, 1394 m high. It lies in the south-western part of the range, in the Kubínska hoľa massif,...ChlebPeakChlebŠútovoaltitude 1 646 m12 km from the centre1 trail to the topChleb (Slovak for “bread”) is a 1,646 m summit on the main ridge of the Lesser Fatra (Malá Fatra) and the third highest peak of the range.ŠípPeakŠípStankovanyaltitude 1 169 m12 km from the centreŠíp (Slovak for "thorn, spike, arrow") is a massive, broad, rocky mountain 1169 m high rising above the confluence of the Orava and Váh rivers in Slovakia.

What to visit

All
Salaš Syrex in Zázrivá — Home of the Zázrivá Korbáčik CheeseCheese dairies & pasturesSalaš Syrex in Zázrivá — Home of the Zázrivá Korbáčik CheeseZázrivá3.8 km from the centreZázrivá is a scattered mountain village on the border of Orava and the Malá Fatra, famous throughout Slovakia for its korbáčiky: thin strings of steamed cheese braided...Jánošík's Holes (Jánošíkove diery)NatureJánošík's Holes (Jánošíkove diery)Terchová6.6 km from the centreJánošíkove diery (Jánošík’s Holes), or simply Diery, is a system of narrow gorges and canyons in the Krivánska Malá Fatra near the village of Terchová, birthplace of...Vrátna ValleyNatureVrátna ValleyTerchová10 km from the centreVrátna dolina, or simply Vrátna, is a valley in the Krivánska Malá Fatra and the largest centre of summer and winter tourism in these mountains.Šútovo WaterfallWaterfallŠútovo WaterfallŠútovo11 km from the centreThe Šútovo Waterfall (Šútovský vodopád) is the highest waterfall in the Malá Fatra mountains and one of the highest in Slovakia: the water drops 38 m.The hole of Malá Fatra: Chleb, Snilovské sedlo and HromovéMountain meadowThe hole of Malá Fatra: Chleb, Snilovské sedlo and HromovéŠútovoaltitude 1 647 m12 km from the centreThe hole of Malá Fatra are the treeless grassy ridges in the highest, Kriváň part of the range (Krivánska Malá Fatra) in northern Slovakia, above the Vrátna valley and...Orava CastleCastleOrava CastleOravský Podzámok15 km from the centreOrava Castle (Oravský hrad) stands on a sheer limestone rock above the Orava river in the village of Oravský Podzámok in northern Slovakia.

Craft nearby

All craft places
Salaš Krajinka near RužomberokCheese dairies & pasturesSalaš Krajinka near RužomberokRužomberok20 km from the centreSalaš 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...URSUS craft brewery, Čutkovská valleyCraft beer & breweriesURSUS craft brewery, Čutkovská valleyRužomberok23 km from the centreURSUS craft brewery (Remeselný pivovar URSUS) is the first brewery of the town of Ružomberok, tucked away in the picturesque Čutkovská valley in lower Liptov.Lúčky Spa and AQUA-VITAL ParkWater parks & thermal poolsLúčky Spa and AQUA-VITAL ParkLúčky24 km from the centreLúčky Spa (Kúpele Lúčky) lies in a quiet valley beneath the Choč Mountains, in the village of Lúčky near Ružomberok.

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Lúčky Spa and AQUA-VITAL ParkWater parks & thermal poolsLúčky Spa and AQUA-VITAL ParkLúčky24 km from the centreLúčky Spa (Kúpele Lúčky) lies in a quiet valley beneath the Choč Mountains, in the village of Lúčky near Ružomberok.Bešeňová Water ParkWater parks & thermal poolsBešeňová Water ParkBešeňová29 km from the centreBešeňová — the "thermal heart of Liptov" Bešeňová Water Park (Vodný park Bešeňová) lies on the edge of the village of the same name in the western part of the Liptov...

Huts, shelters and springs nearby

864 mSpringSpring below Pavláškova skalkaKysuce Beskids · SlovakiaNot verified90 m from a trail
910 mHutHut below Pavláškova skalkaKysuce Beskids · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trailSleeps up to 5
846 mSpringSpring below ČapicaLesser Fatra · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trail
871 mHutLubova Hut on ChotárKysuce Beskids · SlovakiaNot verified
708 mSpringSpring under MackovLesser Fatra · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trailMarked as drinkable
797 mDrinking waterDrinking water below Malý RozsutecLesser Fatra · SlovakiaNot verifiedOn a trail

All springs of the CarpathiansAll Carpathian huts

Getting there from Ukraine

Border crossings

  • Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké — road, 24/7
  • Malyi Bereznyi – Ubľa — road, 24/7 For cars and buses; pedestrians not confirmed by the Ukrainian border service, lorries up to 3.5 t.
  • Mali Selmentsi – Veľké Slemence (pedestrian) — pedestrian, 09:00–21:00 Kyiv time Pedestrians and cyclists only; inconvenient for the Tatras without onward transport.
  • Chop – Čierna nad Tisou (rail) — rail, 24/7

By car

From Uzhhorod ≈275 km, ≈3 h 35 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 to Košice → D1 motorway via Prešov, Poprad and Liptovský Mikuláš to Ružomberok (≈270 km, ≈3 h 25 min from the border). From Lviv it is faster through Poland: M-10 → Krakovets – Korczowa → A4 to Kraków → S7/DK7 to the Chyżne – Trstená border → R3 and I/59 via Dolný Kubín to Ružomberok: ≈482 km, ≈6 h 15 min (via Uzhok and Ubľa ≈500 km, ≈7 h 30 min). The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk).

Checked 23.10.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.

What's nearby