Welcome to the official tourist portal of Žilina
Žilina is a gateway to the Upper Váh Region (Horné Považie), which consists of the Žilina and Bytča districts. Situated in northwest Slovakia, it extends over 1 097 km².
A major portion of the territory is covered with mountain ranges: Javorníky, Malá Fatra, Strážovské vrchy (Strážov Hills), Súľovské vrchy (Súľov Hills), Kysucká vrchovina (Kysucké Highlands) and Žilinská pahorkatina (Žilina Uplands).
There are two hydroelectric dams: the Žilina Dam and the Hričov dam.
Until 1923, the region belonged to the Trenčín district, then was part of the County of Považie. Today Žilina is one of the five historical districts of the Žilina self-governing Region (Kysuce, Upper Váh (Horné Považie), Turiec, Liptov and Orava).
Taking any direction from Žilina, be it Bytča, Rajec, Martin, Terchová... we guarantee you that you will discover immense natural beauty and cultural heritage. Wandering at leisure, you will certainly meet hospitable inhabitants of this region and in no time become familiar with their customs and traditions.
Other information about Žilina and its surroundings can be found on:
www.viator.sk; www.regionzilina.sk; www.slovakia.travel; www.rajeckapohoda.sk; www.ztt.sk; www.techova-info.sk
Travelling from Žilina towards Považská Bystrica, we recommend you stop in the town of Bytča, visit Bytča Castle which houses the National archives. The stunning Súľovské rock formations are a must for all lovers of natural beauty, whilst the ruins of Hričov Castle provide a unique gateway to a now obsolete culture.
If you travel from Žilina toward Prievidza, on the way you can visit Lietava Castle, the spa town Rajecké Teplice, the oldest town in Považie area - Rajec, a moving wooden Bethlehem in a pilgrimage village Rajecká Lesná or admire the interesting architecture of the highest located village Čičmany.
Should you choose to explore the surroundings of Žilina, in the direction of Martin, you will pass through the Strečno strait. The river Váh meanders in this region and is overlooked by two castles. We recommend you raft down the meander on a traditional raft. The journey is brought to life with legends and stories of raftsmen from Strečno.
If the aim of your journey is the village of Terchová and the surrounding area, you will certainly not regret it. In addition to the natural beauties of the youngest National Park in the Žilina Region - Malá Fatra, you can visit the museum "Jánošík and Terchová" in Terchová or take a cable car to the mountain Chleb and enjoy the surrounding panorama from a bird's perspective.
