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Island · Oravský Podzámok, Žilina
Slanický Art Island
The top of the hill of the submerged village of Slanica, now an island in the Orava Reservoir, with an 18th-century Baroque church and folk art displays. You reach it by boat.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Slanický Art Island
The Orava Reservoir, created in the early 1950s at the confluence of the Biela and Čierna Orava rivers, flooded five villages. From the village of Slanica only the top of a hill with the church and the calvary remained above water and became an island: Slanický ostrov, called the Island of Art (Ostrov umenia) after the Orava Gallery installed its exhibitions there.
In the Baroque Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, from the 18th century, there is an exhibition of traditional popular sculpture and painting, opened in 1971. Outdoors there are stone works from the 18th and 19th centuries, and a small exhibition tells the story of the flooded villages and the construction of the dam. The island also commemorates Anton Bernolák, author of the first standard of written Slovak, who was born in Slanica.
The Orava Gallery’s boat departs from the Slanická osada harbour in Námestovo. The trip includes a circuit of the reservoir and a stop of about 40 minutes on the island, with views of Babia hora and the Western Tatras. The boat operates in the summer season.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About one and a half hours, including the boat round trip.
Best time
Generally from May to September, when the boat operates, with departures at fixed times throughout the day. Clear days let you see the mountains around the reservoir. Confirm the season and timetable with the Orava Gallery.
How to get there
The boat departs from the Slanická osada harbour in Námestovo, in northern Orava. There is parking by the harbour and buses to Námestovo.
Tip
Arrive early on summer weekends: the boat has limited capacity. The boat ticket includes the visit to the island’s exhibitions.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Slanický Art Island
How do you get to Slanický ostrov?
Only by boat, on the Orava Gallery trip that departs from the Slanická osada harbour in Námestovo, during the summer season.
Why is there a church on an island in the Orava Reservoir?
Because the island is the top of the hill of the former village of Slanica, flooded in the 1950s. Only the church and the calvary remained above the water.
How long does the boat trip to Slanický ostrov take?
About one and a half hours, including the circuit of the reservoir and the roughly 40-minute stop on the island.