Liptovská Sielnica – Water and History on Liptovská Mara

Liptovská Sielnica combines Liptovská Mara with a multifaceted local history and activities for exercise, animals and all-weather entertainment.

Water and Activities

At Gréta Resort, an organized paddleboarding experience led by a trained instructor, including refreshments, is offered on Liptovská Mara. The paddleboarding launch point is located on the beach at Gréta Resort, at the end of the picnic lawn in Liptovská Sielnica. Sielnická zátoka is a grassy and rocky beach on Liptovská Mara and offers rentals of various watercraft. Sielnická zátoka also has coffee, beer and quick meals in the form of snacks.

Family Activities

The 500 m² Babyland indoor playground features a two-storey maze with an obstacle course, slides and tunnels. Babyland also has a renovated indoor hall of more than 500 m² with various activities for visits in bad weather. There, visitors can feed horses and other farm animals and take part in an animation programme.

At Villa Betula’s animal farm, visitors can see horses, llamas, peacocks and other animals and feed them. Villa Betula offers horseback rides on the grounds, outside the facility or in a covered riding arena under the guidance of experienced instructors. The riding programme includes hippotherapy, trail rides, a basic riding course, rides in the open countryside, rental of the riding arena and training with an instructor on one’s own horse. Horse riding at Villa Betula is available to the public only by telephone arrangement with reception and subject to available appointments on the day of the visit.

Culture and History

The oldest surviving written mention of Sielnica dates from 1256. At that time, the village was royal property and part of the Liptov castle estate belonging to King Béla IV.

After the original Liptovská Sielnica was flooded by the Liptovská Mara reservoir, the new settlement was ceremonially opened on 25 August 1974. It lies about 2 km north of the original village. The preserved fragment of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is clearly visible on the shore of Liptovská Mara and is a frequently visited site; it is considered one of the oldest churches in Liptov.

The Miniskanzen zatopených obcí in Liptovská Sielnica commemorates the history and culture of thirteen villages flooded by Liptovská Mara. Information panels and historical photographs of houses, churches, schools and other buildings from the flooded villages complement the site.

The Lutheran church in Liptovská Sielnica was consecrated on 9 August 1992 after the construction of a new church and tower had been approved. The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius was built between 1991 and 1997; the congregation describes it as one of the newest churches in Liptov.

Culinary Experiences

Rybáreň NA HÁKU is an unusual wooden facility with a private pond in Liptovská Sielnica. Visitors can catch rainbow trout or salmon trout themselves and have their catch prepared on site or take it home. The offerings include baked and smoked trout as well as fresh grilled trout fillets with olive oil and rosemary.

Events

The Gréta Run running event has been held in Liptovská Sielnica for several consecutive years. On 21 September 2025, the local volunteer fire brigade helped ensure its smooth running, as in previous years.

More local pages: Bobrovník, Lubela, Vyšná Boca, Žiar, Hybe, Malé Borové, Liptovský Hrádok, Liptovské Kľačany.

To the higher-level travel overview: Liptovský Mikuláš District.