Between the last decade of the nineteenth century and the First World War (and continuing afterwards in a few cases), architecture in Žilina embraced the Secession style. Like elsewhere in Europe, Secession – also known under the French name Art Nouveau or the German Jugendstil – celebrated modernisation and progress, experimenting with new materials such as reinforced concrete in combination with naturalistic ornamentation and the avoidance of rectangular forms.
Its arrival in Žilina coincided with the establishment of many industrial enterprises and a consequent construction boom in the town. The style was used for public buildings, private villas and even factories. Some buildings have been demolished (the Match Factory), some have lost all their Secession character (Hotel Slovan) and some designs never left the drawing board. Even so, there are many buildings in the town that still exhibit this architectural style in their windows frames, the parapets and railings of their balconies and staircases and the ornamental features on their facades. Despite frequent and often insensitive rebuilding, the spirit of Secession survives in many buildings on Národná ulica (e.g. Hotel Polom) and other central streets such as Hollého, Radlinského and Dlabačová.
■ Secession tour
House of Arts Fatra ■ Žilina secondary school ■ Rosenfeld´s Palace ■ Vykopal's house ■ Štefan Kuchárek’s House ■ Petrovský steam baths ■ The building of the present-day Prima Banka office ■ Dubná Skala Boutique Hotel ■ Braun´s house ■ Ripper’s house ■ Villa on Radlinskeho street ■ The House of Artisans
■ Duration
90 minutes
■ Assembly point for the group
House of Arts Fatra
■ Price list
(depends on the number of tour participants)
Duration / Language | The number of tour participants | |||
60 minutes | 1 – 10 | 11 – 29 | 30 – 50 | |
Slovak language | 40,- € | 50,- € | 60,- € |
■ The price includes
A tour of the functionalist monuments in the centre of Žilina (12 stops) with a professional commentary.
■ The price doesn't include
Interpreting.
The price list has been valid since 22nd December 2015.