Ružomberok

A cozy town under the High Tatras

A Slovak town of 30.000 population, which strange name ordinates of german Rosenberg — “The rose hill.” It’s comfortably located on the interception of roads in the center of the country. And I selected it for an overnight stay between points I’d like to visit first in Slovakia.

Ružomberok was pretty destroyed during WWII and had a reputation as an industrial center with the smoky air (although the ecologic situation had already become better). The town is unpopular as a tourist point, unless like a ski resort. Yet, I had planned my time to have an hour or two for walking the town center before the sunset. And I never regretted this decision.

The fastest daily trains in Slovakia are typically called “Intercity.” On a race between Košice and Ružomberok, the railway is lying near the High Tatras. It’s even shown on a train scheme on which windows the hills would be seen from (if you’d buy tickets online).

1. That day, the clouds covered the tops and didn’t give me a chance to enjoy the view of one of the most beautiful mountains in Europe in full. But notwithstanding:

2. Also, the countryside is attractive too. Ultimately I didn’t want to turn away from the window during the whole trip.

3. The railway station is the first thing which is worth looking at after arrival. In general, rich in stunning architecture, Slovakia has mainly poor-looking railway stations. But in Ružomberok, there is a large-scale palace with noble wooden decor (built-in 1871).

4. The hub station should have a monument of an old locomotive. It is expected.

5. The Vag river separates the station district from the central part of the town.

On that side, something conspicuous… is it a castle? Yes, it was a small castle, this type is called kaštiel in Slovakia (unlike the great ones called “grad”). There’s not much info about it, and I found it only on one Czech site. It was founded in 1397, rebuilt in renaissance style in the 16th century.

6. At that moment, I was sure it would be used as a prison or a military base. Ask me why I thought so, but I can’t say. Actually, a supermarket is located inside.

7. The town is surrounded by mountains, which add something special to its views. A pedestrian bridge and a hill above the Vag:

8. From it, I got to pedestrian Mostova street, which is going to the center. After crowded Košice, Ružomberok appeared to belong to that type of Slovak town I had used to. All are closed, and zero people are on the streets.

9. But historical or recovered architecture is present, for all that.

10. As well I was walking down this alluring street:

11. …which led me to Freedom square with an Evangelist church and a house with a corner tower.

12. One more square on the interception of pedestrian streets. All are flowered and very nice:

13. Houses of the downtown:

14. And seductive winding streets:

15. Even such steep streets are present:

16. Eventually, all of them lead across to the very heart of the town. Its architectural face is formed by a Catholic church and a town hall.

17. The town hall still serves as a municipality.

18. The Catholic church of the 16th century was gothic but subsequently got baroque and renaissance features, as was often the case.

19. Cute streets enticed me from downtown, and I wanted to pass them all.

20. But still, let’s look at the central square. It has a name in honor of Andrej Hlinka. There is a monument of him behind the church, and he deserves a couple of individual paragraphs.

Andrej Hlinka was a Catholic priest and a politician who fought for the expansion of autonomy and then the full independence of his motherland from Austro-Hungary and Czechoslovakia later.

To some extent, the First Slovak Republic became the expression of his ideas. But it was the satellite of nazi Germany, which lasted only a few years. Hlinka died in 1938, and it saved his reputation from taking part in the biggest slaughter in world history.

For the next analogy, I should get acquainted with his biography in more detail; still, I’ll take a risk to make a parallel with his namesake Andrej Sheptytskyi (who fought for Ukraine independence in very similar conditions). Moreover, Hlinka is represented as a thief in Russian sources that means he was strictly a good man. In modern Slovakia, he is considered as one of the national heroes.

21. …and from the square panoramas of the northern side of the town are open. And let it be just the sleeping areas, but they are surrounded by mountains called Low Tatras. More mountains, so many beautiful mountains which wouldn’t leave indifferent the most of the plain inhabitants.

22. The town that exists not for window dressing before tourists. That’s why it is incredibly cozy and lovely. Somehow only non-touristic industrial Ružomberok woke up thoughts in me that it is an acceptable place to live in retirement. And not only me stared at that hills away, somebody turned to stone there and will look at them forever…

23. Hlinka’s tomb is located in the fundamentals of the square. It is empty: the ashes were taken out during WWII.

24. Houses below on Marianska street:

25. It remained to look at one more interesting object, the synagogue of 1879–80. It is active, can also host concerts after the latest reconstruction.

Then was the most complicated quest to find a working cafe after 9 p.m. But this is a whole different story.