Čičmany – Slovakia’s Gingerbread Village
Under the protection of the emerald mountains of Central Slovakia, this village has thrived for centuries. Its distinct “gingerbread” homes, lumber dwellings with stunning painted motifs, are the perfect representation of the Slovak folk like. Welcome to Čičmany, one of the prettiest places in Slovakia!
Table of Contents
How to Reach to Village
There is little way to reach the village, other then by car from the cities of Žilina or Trenčín.
Where to Stay?
There are plenty of beautiful traditionally styled inns called Pensions in town. These will usually have their own kitchen where you can purchase local meals.
What to do in Čičmany
Honestly, outside of hiking or doing nature tourism in the surrounding mountains, there is not a great deal of things to do outside of exploring the village itself.
There are a few public parking spots, and a municipal lot just outside of the village confines. In any case be prepared to walk. Be sure to pick designated spots as the parking in front of many of the buildings is reserved for guests.
The name of the village is derived from the Slovak word čičman, a lumberjack. This is a fitting name due to the prevalence of timber framed structures throughout the village.
Although the look of the village is timeless, it is actually a relatively new (re)creation. Although Čičmany dates from 1272, a 1921 fire brought about a round of funding to restore the ensemble of buildings to their original appearance.
The cottage style of the structures is typical of the alpine regions of the country and it’s settlement represents a more pastoral time in the Slovak country, where sheep raising was practiced in this region until the the mid-20th century. The only difference is that the town now possesses a narrow paved road through its center.
One of the few non-gingerbread buildings in the center of the village is the town church with its rounded roof central tower, so typical of central europe. This is the Kostol Povýšenia Svätého kríža, and the baroque structure dates from 1669.
One of the largest timber homed structures in town is the Múzeum Radenov dom. This ethnographical institution preserves the folk traditions of the town including its distinctive consumes, music and dances.
Enjoy the scenic vistas, beautiful green grassland and cool mountain air – this is a wonderful place!
Conclusion
If you make it out to this part of the Slovak wilderness, you will not be disappointed. Authentic is but one way to describe it, folk another. You will probably be the only non-Slovaks there and that only makes it better!
