A valley full of many jokes. However, her real face hides much more. In each period , the surrounding nature attracts with something else. In winter, there is silence and romance under a white veil like from a Christmas fairy tale. In the warmer part of the year, again with endless greenery that delights not only the eye but also the soul, interspersed here and there with medicinal herbs and wild berries. And supposedly the air and water are also unique here. What area do we mention? After all, Marikovská dolina.

The first written mention of the area is a document dating from 1321, in which King Charles I of Hungary donated the Marikovská Valley to Master Ondrej for his faithful services. Since then, everything possible and impossible has happened here, in any case today, the area attracts cottagers and tourists from near and far.

A place to rest

The Kopaničiar village of Horná Mariková, located at the end of the Marikovská valley, about 20 kilometers from the town of Považská Bystrica, found itself in the sights of the tourist police. It borders Papradno in the northeast and Dolná Mariková in the south and southwest, Lazy pod Makytou in the west and the Czech Republic in the northwest and the area of the village of Makov. The area of the village is very large. The village itself is 12 kilometers long. People here have plenty of space, which is a rare item today, especially if you are looking for a place to rest.

The territory of the village with a very rugged surface once consisted of 108 settlements, most of which have disappeared to this day. The main and largest include Pagaňov, Belejov, Modlatín, a settlement considered the center of the village, Vlkov and Ráztoka, the last settlement of Horná Mariková, which borders the Czech Republic. The Marikovský stream, also called Marikovka, flows through the village. In the individual settlements, the original log houses have been preserved, which are gradually becoming holiday cottages and cottages.

To Ráztoky

The last settlement of Ráztoka is an ideal starting point for a tourist on the Javorníkov ridge. You can comfortably park your car in the parking lot and throw it into the terrain! From above this point, the journey to Malý Javorník (1019 m above sea level) along the yellow mark will take you a little higher. From here you can continue in red direction in the direction of Veľký Javorník (1071 m above sea level). The same time period will take the ascent to the other side, after the local blue markings you will reach the ridge to the mountain hotel Portáš or even a short distance to the Ski Center Kohútka. In winter, you can warm up here with hot tea or a sharper combination. In good weather, it is an ideal walk in this part of the year, just in time and condition. You can also get here from the center of Horná Mariková, Modlatín, but the difficulty increases with the length of the route and it is necessary to count on four hours of climbing the ridge. If you don't have a car, don't despair. You can also get to Modlatín by bus from Považská Bystrica and you can take a shorter route from here, for example, to Orgoňová Kýčera following the yellow tourist sign (959 m above sea level).

This area is interesting not only for hiking. Even cyclists will not suffer from boredom. The number of marked cycle paths predestines the place for a nice trip on two wheels. Although the baskets are already wintered, in the season the local forests abound not only in beauty, but also in the aroma of wild berries, mushrooms and medicinal herbs. Blueberries are the most popular here, just to mark the places where it is necessary to choose them until the summer.

You also need to ski

What else is waiting for you here? A pleasant surprise is the Ráztoka Ski Center. So it's not a "donkey meadow" - it will give even better skiers a nice inclination. You will probably not be pressed head to head here, according to the local cottage Zuzka, the slope can be turned until the skiing. Evening skiing is also on offer, and in case of a small amount of snow, artificial snow will help. You can get refreshments and accommodation directly under the slope during the operating season of the lift, according to the plus-minus conditions from the turn of the year to Easter. However, if you book local skiing, the options in the area are nice: Ski center Čertov and Kohútka on one side, Ski Podjavorník or Makov on the other. Only a little longer drive awaits you. Cross-country skiing is an alternative in winter, the snow-covered ridge of Javorníkov will captivate you with the most beautiful winter views.

So much a pity

Until recently, the settlement of Ráztoka could also be described as historically unique. There was a wooden church - the Chapel of the Heart of Jesus, completed in 1949. The wooden bell tower was in the settlement as early as 1870, the bell itself much earlier. It was the only wooden church in the Považská Bystrica district, but for unknown reasons a fire broke out in it in August 2016, during which it burned almost to the ground together with a bell and statues of a local artist intended for the planned nativity scene. Fortunately, thanks to the clever and passionate citizens, we are already working hard to restore it. We have seen with our own eyes that work is not afraid of locals even over the weekend, not even at zero temperatures. If all goes according to plan, the chapel could see the light of day in the new year.

When it explodes

In one of the cottages, we talked to an experienced Upper Moravian cottage, Mrs. Zuzana, over hot herbal tea. Her steps into this valley led to her childhood. I used to go to my aunt's vacation here, and in adulthood, by chance or fate, they arranged to buy their own cottage. Thus, the long-term affection for this beautiful region materialized into a cozy residence just below the slope. We couldn't help but chirp a bit on the string of jokes circulating about this area. "There may be something to it," Zuzana smiles. "A long time ago, two brothers, the original inhabitants, revealed to me a recipe for making homemade schnapps - breadfruit. That you can cook bread and when it explodes, it's done. I think that such an 'elixir' can make a real sharapata. ”In connection with the attribute of backwaters, Mariková is also mentioned because it was a very poor valley in the past. Many are even surprised that this village really exists and is not just made up.

It's like a fairy tale, we can confirm that, but it's definitely not made up. "When analyzing the water, the neighbors asked what evian had given them. Until recently, there were also crayfish in the stream, only now they have disappeared due to the low level. You can drink from the stream up in the forest and the air is according to measurements qualitatively the same as in the Tatras. By the end of the road here, the village is protected from pollution from a large number of vehicles and the forests also do their thing, "adds Ms. Zuzka. Last but not least, the virginity of the surrounding nature is enhanced by the fact that you will definitely not pick up the telephone or internet signal in Ráztok. You will also be freed from this form of smog and nothing will really disturb you when you relax. Get lost in the center too What shouldn't you forget on your trip to Marikova? Stop at the mountain hotel Eva Maria, in a family pension with a traditional restaurant. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify its quality, it was closed for technical reasons at the time of our visit. However, according to local recommendations, you will definitely not make a mistake by visiting it. In the center of Horná Mariková you will also be interested in another cultural monument - the parish Roman Catholic Church of St. Ján Nepomucký. It is the dominant feature of the village and you will definitely not miss it. Large and small visitors can enjoy the recreational area Rybník Horná Mariková. It offers accommodation in bungalows with the possibility of fishing. The village is also known for organizing folklore festivals, during June this year it prepared its 27th year. The rich cultural program together with a visit to the local open-air museum enchants not only the folklore soul. Starting from the valley, it pays to stop in the Nimnica mountain hut for a pleasant lunch or dinner, or to indulge in one of the relaxation procedures in the local Nimnica spa.

Are you still wondering if it is worth visiting Horni Marikova? Come and see that everyone will come to their own here. During active rest, wandering through the woods or winter sports, in the summer at folklore festivals or just for relaxation and sweet destruction in the romantic environment of Marik's lazy. Lack of modern infrastructure? But to whom? It does not detract from "Chalúpek's" beauty, on the contrary. Believers of pure nature, who do not like to crowd on the forest paths, will enjoy it here to the fullest. Well-being spreads directly here through the air.