Hotel in Nižná: Ostražica and Františkova Huta

Ostražica is home to a fortified Hallstatt-period hilltop settlement that was an important centre from the end of the Late Bronze Age.

Landscape

Nižná is situated on an alluvial terrace of the Orava River and has hilly to mountainous terrain. The municipality includes the eastern slopes of Oravská Magura as well as the Skorušinské vrchy. The limestone rock landscape near Nižná is characterised by Ostražica, which rises to 767.7 metres. Archaeological finds at Ostražica hill provide evidence of prehistoric and early historic settlement lasting approximately 500 to 600 years and apparently continuing without interruption.

Culture and History

In the cadastral area of Nižná, visitors can see preserved perimeter walls at Františkova Huta, the remains of the building with the bellows, and a pile of iron ore. The Františkova Huta technical monument complex was built in 1836. The preserved complex includes the remains of the forge, inlet and outlet channels, a bellows chamber, a factory hall and a blast furnace. There is also a car park on a meadow beside the main road near Františkova Huta.

The Ostražica cinema is also part of the local cultural offering and has a cinema hall with 308 seats. Folklore enthusiasts in Nižná can attend the Nižnianske krpčeky folklore competition. The Pltnícke dni are an attraction for tourists in Nižná. The recurring Pltnícky deň includes the traditional striking on the raft and reached its 30th edition.

Cycling and Events

Cykloklub Nižná organises the Okolo Tatier cycling race together with the municipality of Nižná and the Žilina self-governing region. Every year, the club organises approximately 30 cycling activities in the Orava region. Cykloklub Nižná also organises hikes in the Western Tatras, including the Roháče, in the High Tatras, and in the Lesser and Greater Fatra.

During Okolo Tatier, the peloton set off through the streets of Nižná at 8 a.m. and travelled through the surrounding villages towards the Suchá Hora border crossing. The Okolo Tatier route ended in Nižná. At the end of August, demonstrations of iron ore smelting using an ancient technique take place near Františkova Huta as part of the popular Dní železiarstva.

Winter

The Uhliská Ski Centre near Nižná nad Oravou in the Skorušinské vrchy mountains has four ski lifts and slopes for beginners to intermediate skiers. It also offers ski and snowboard rental, a ski school, a snowboard school and a restaurant.

Take your time to open or compare the displayed offers and pay attention to which services and conditions actually apply to your chosen dates. On the respective offer page, also check the exact location, type of accommodation and occupancy. Included services, price components, as well as booking and cancellation conditions may also differ there.

You can access more places here: Habovka, Suchá Hora, Podbiel, Vitanova, Tvrdosin, Trstená, Oravsky Biely Potok, Zuberec.

For the higher-level travel overview: Tvrdošín.