Tag Archives: Tvrdošín

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A Swiss butterfly in Slovakia: Podbiel and Tvrdošín

End of August 2021, I am on the road again, to Berlin via Slovakia and Poland. My route: Munich, in Slovakia: Bratislava – Trnava – Nitra – Žilina – Strečno and Terchová – Dolny Kubin, then in Poland: Wilkowisko – Karków – Szklarska Poręba – Wroclaw, and finally Berlin. 

Today I will drive to Poland, with three stop overs in Slovakia, the first in Podbiel with its wooden houses, the second in Tvrdošín with its Gothic wooden church and a short third stop at the Orvina Lake (or Arwa Lake) near the border between Slovakia and Poland.

 

Podbiel with the traditional wooden houses, Slovakian Inheritage of local architecture

The village Podbiel, is located about half an hour north of Dolny Kubin. In the centre, an ensemble of traditional wooden houses has been preserved. The village is declared a Slovakian reservation of folk architecture.

The atmosphere is cosy along the side street,…

… with green meadows between the houses.

Tradition mixes up with modern times… cars are parked in front of the houses and construction work seems to be going on. 

In one of the houses the local electrician announces his business.

Sadly, most of the houses are bordering the busy main road, where many trucks pass by.

I return to the side street and enjoy looking at these two wooden houses, …

… where the white window frame contrasts nicely with the red colour of the rose bush.

On the main square, I greet Cyril and Methodius with their orthodox cross…

… and then, I say good-bye to Podbiel. Within another ten minutes, I am at Tvrdošín.

 

Tvrdošín and the wooden Gothic church of All Saints, a national cultural monument

The wooden Gothic church of All Saints at Tvrdošín originates presumably from the late 15th century and was reconstructed in the 17th century. 

It is a national cultural monument, registered in the UNESCO list since 2008 . 

I park my car near the gate.

This is the view of the shingle roofs, after having passed through the gate.

I walk around the church…

… with the cemetery.

Inside, the altar is of Baroque style from the 17th century. The painting shows All Saints…

The walls were painted in the late 17th century. These are the apostles – Petrus has two keys in his hands.

Saint George was also painted in the 17th century.

At the back, there is a balcony. 

The ceiling is decorated with 49 roses.

I visit the cemetery once more. A wonderful atmosphere!

Then I leave the church – the roof of the gate matches the yellowish leaves.

 

Good-bye Slovakia and hello Poland

To complete my tour across Slovakia, I make a quick loop to the Lake Orvina.

Then I leave Slovakia crossing the border to Poland. No checks at the borders.

I have enjoyed Slovakia and I may return next year. 

Now I look forward to meeting my friends that are awaiting me in Wilkowisko. I will no longer travel alone.

 

To recapitulate: The map showing my butterfly tour across Slovakia

Today I was at Tvrdošín with the Gothic wooden church, after having crossed Podbiel with the wooden houses (not on the map, just a ten minutes drive south from Tvrdošín).

Now I will have to draw a new map for my visit in Poland.

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