Dlhé Pole: Wireworking, Church Art and Trails on Kamenité

Dlhé Pole combines a long history of wireworking with exhibitions on local history and trails through the Javorníky landscape. When planning your visit, you can choose between insights into a traditional craft, religious art and a hike to the observation tower on Kamenité.

Wireworking and Its History

Dlhé Pole is one of the oldest places where residents earned their living through wireworking, and also one of the largest centres of this craft. An exhibition on wireworking and its folk traditions, held in Dlhé Pole in July and August 1940, inspired the establishment of a joint wireworking and town museum.

The Jozef Holánik-Bakeľ Wireworking Museum is housed in a wooden cottage more than a hundred years old. Jozef Holánik-Bakeľ lived and worked in this house. Copies of medals and photographs on the façade commemorate his craft career: he received the medals at numerous industrial exhibitions at home and abroad, while the photographs document his professional success. The house was entered in Slovakia’s register of immovable national cultural monuments in 2000 and became an independent wireworking museum in 2018.

During a visit, you can explore a typical wireworker’s room, craft products and the workshop with an expert guide; a wireworking demonstration is also part of the described visitor experience. Check current visiting arrangements before your visit.

Folk Traditions and Local History

The Pamätná izba drotárstva (Wireworking Memorial Room) focuses on different aspects. It is on the first floor of the kindergarten building at Dlhé Pole 203. Visits can also be arranged outside opening hours. The main room covers wireworking from its beginnings through to wireworking manufactories. The exhibition also explores the history and ethnography of Dlhé Pole, including folk architecture, traditional dress, traditional crafts and important social events. While the Jozef Holánik-Bakeľ Wireworking Museum offers an experience of a living room and workshop, the Pamätná izba places the craft in the broader local and cultural context.

St. Martin’s Church is also part of the village’s cultural heritage. The parish is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. The main altar dates from the second half of the 19th century and features a painting of Saint Martin by Jozef Hanula, created in 1926. There are also neoclassical statues of the Madonna and the Immaculata from the early 19th century.

Educational Trail and Views from Kamenité

The Drotárska cesta is an educational tourist trail in Dlhé Pole that leads from there to Veľké Rovné. As part of its renewal, a wooden information board, a signpost, a bicycle stand and an information board about the Pamätná izba drotárstva were installed along the route. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The Mikovčákova rozhľadňa on Kamenité stands on the main ridge of the Javorníky, along a hiking trail between Dlhá nad Kysucou and Dlhé Pole. It is considered the first official observation tower for tourism in the Kysuce region and opened to the public in 2005. In good conditions, the view extends to the Kysucké Beskydy, the Kysucká vrchovina, the Malá Fatra and the Tatras.

The marked ascent from Dlhé Pole passes via Pod Prípory and Nad Vrcherkou to the observation tower site on Kamenité. The route is listed as taking up to one hour and climbing 304 metres. It is suitable for hikers and cyclists, as well as cross-country skiers in winter. Another outdoor option is the site of the Maxi lavička, with benches and a fire pit, as well as views and the opportunity to grill. Check before visiting whether grilling is currently permitted.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Kunerad, Rajecká Lesná, Bitarová, Lietavská Lúčka, Fačkov, Teplička Nad Váhom, Žilina, Belá

See the main travel overview: Žilina District.