From Bratislava: Cicmany tour with Thermal Bath Entrance

The typical village ČIČMANY surrounded by the mountains Strážovské vrchy and Malá Fatra in the southern part of the valley Rajecká dolina is famous for its original log houses with the typical white ornamentation. The unique and characteristic element of log houses in Čičmany are their exteriors ornamented in geometrical pattern. The authors of ornaments, as rule, were women who originally adorned only the corners of houses first with mud and later with lime. However, since the 19th century the motifs were added and painted all over exteriors of not plastered log houses. The painting was intended to protect the logs against the effect of sunrays. Geometrical ornamentation was also used in embroidery applied to garments, pictures or tablecloths. The Reserve counts 136 houses.

Wooden Bethlehem in Rajecká Lesná belongs among the largest wood-carvings in Slovakia. Master Jozef Pekara from Rajecké Teplice worked on it since 1980, and it took him 15 years to complete. In addition to Christ's birth in Bethlehem and his life, the exhibition also shows the history of the Slovak nation. The dominant also features of the castles, cathedrals, peaks and modern buildings. Did you know that the Bethlehem includes a total of 300 figures, out of which more than half are animated? The movable wooden Slovak Bethlehem is a masterpiece by Jozef Pekara, a carver native to Rajecké Teplice. It took the skilled master more than 15 years to create the original, unique Bethlehem. It is situated in the village of Rajecká Lesná, in the House of Our Lord's Nativity, which is a part of the pilgrimage area around the Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

The Aphrodite Spa Rajecké Teplice is situated amid the scenic natural surroundings of the Malá Fatra and Strážovské Hills. The Spa offers healing thermal water with a temperature of 38°C, whose beneficial effects have been known since the fourteenth century. It contains calcium and magnesium ions and is especially good for the locomotor system, neurological diseases, occupational diseases, and drinking cures.

ŽILINA is the metropolis of the north-west of Slovakia, a town at the confluence of three rivers - the Vah, the Kysuca and the Rajčianka, and the fourth biggest town of the Slovak Republic. It is the seat of the Žilina Self-Governing Region and a gate to the region of Horné Považie. ŽILINA (population 85,655) has undergone dynamic development that has been accelerated by the investment of KIA Motors Slovakia. However, the town is not only an automobile production centre, but together with the Horné Považie region, it is also an interesting place for tourists. It is the seat of the University of Žilina, and since 2008 of the Žilina Bishopric. The popularity of the town as a centre of workshop and conference tourism has been growing too.