On the Orava Lake

Rest by the water

Anyone who stands on the top of Babia Góra and looks towards Slovakia will surely catch the eye of the Orava Lake, shimmering like gold. This largest Slovak artificial reservoir is located in the Orava Basin in the northern part of the country. Its surroundings are as beautiful as the lake itself, which tourists eagerly use when coming here to relax. There are marinas, a campsite and several recreational centers on the shore.

Several villages, including the historic center of Námestov, were flooded with the reservoir. Fortunately, not all tourist attractions are under water. Tourists can visit the local Renaissance church of St. The apostles Simon and Jude. It was built in the 17th century, and to this day, two confessionals, a baroque baptismal font and a stone Marian column have been preserved. The sculptures of St. Barbara and St. Catherine, as well as a nineteenth-century folk statue.

Námestovo - water sports and monuments

Another attraction of the village is Slanicka Island (Slanicky ostrov) - the only remnant of the flooded village of Slanica. It stands on the historic 18th-century Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which now houses the Museum of Folk Art. It is worth seeing the works of unknown folk stonemasons and sculptors from old times. To visit them, all you need to do is board a cruise ship that runs to the island.

It may not be a tourist destination, but it is a curiosity that Námestov is home to the largest electrical engineering plant in Slovakia - a branch of the Punch company.

The lake is the most beautiful tourist point in upper Orava. The summer recreation and sports centers, Przystań and Slanicka Osada, are very popular. You can swim here, use pedal boats, motorboats and boats. Water skiers as well as yachting and windsurfing enthusiasts will be pleased. Of course, not to mention those who just like to calmly fish while enjoying the beauty of the landscape. The lakeside beaches are mostly rocky, although with a little patience you can also find some sandy ones. It is best not to forget about sandals or flip-flops.

When visiting the area, you must climb the dam - the view stretching from it is unmatched. You can clearly see fish in the water, you can even spot several different species. You have to remember that it is forbidden to enter the dam, so to get to the other side of the lake, you just have to drive around it.

Camping by the lake

As mentioned above, the Stará Hora campsite (Oravská priehrada) is located right on Lake Orava. It is located about 2 km from the center of Námestowo. It is open from 01.05. until 31.10, and tourists can use the buffets with meals, pedal boat rental, there is also a cafe and a playground for children. You can safely come with your pet. For around 13 euros, 2 adults can spend a night here - the price includes access to electricity and a parking space for a camper. The child's stay costs 1.5 Euro / day.

It is worth coming to the lake with your own car or camper, because this allows you to combine relaxation by the water with exploring the area. And there are quite a lot of places in Orava that will interest every tourist.

Visiting the area

One of the attractions of the region is the Orava Castle. In fact, you can even say: "Orava castles", because it consists of three complexes of medieval-renaissance buildings. The upper castle dates from the beginning of the 13th century, it is slender and soaring, the middle castle is distinguished by a four-sided tower, while the lower castle houses a baroque church, the Thurzon palace and a tower.

A little further, about 30 km from the lake, there are the famous thermal pools of Oravice. Oravice Bath attracts thousands of people, and its greatest attraction is geothermal water with a temperature of 58 degrees Celsius. You can come here all year round and use the open-air swimming pools until late in the evening. Oravice waters contain a lot of iron and therefore have a positive effect on the body.

The next point of the trip may be the open-air museum situated 3 km from Zuberec, in the Brestová glade at the foot of the Western Tatras. It is the Orava Village Museum (Múzeum oravskej dediny), divided into five parts. For example, in the Dolnoorawski Market Square you will find the more beautiful and more impressive buildings of the inhabitants of the richer part of southern Orava, while the Goral's Lazy characterize the poorest part of the region, located on the south-eastern slopes of the Orava Beskids. The open-air museum can be visited all year round.

Driving through Orava

A trip to the Orava Lake area is not only the possibility of practicing water sports and relaxing on the beach. The Orava Basin has a lot to offer to tourists and many of them appreciate the beauty of its monuments and landscapes. The more so because it is so close to our border. It's a sin not to take advantage of the opportunity to spend even a weekend in this beautiful place.