Lazy Pod Makytou: Nature, Winter Sports and History

Lazy Pod Makytou lies at the foot and on the slopes of the Javorníky Mountains, stretching for 14 km along the Biela voda valley—from Lúky to the Czech-Moravian border. Nature, winter sports, cycling and local history offer different starting points for planning your trip. If you are looking for hotels in Lazy Pod Makytou, you can first decide which of these themes you want to shape your stay.

Nature and Landscape

Part of the municipality lies within the Kysuce Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Kysuce), which also includes the Čertov Nature Reserve. The reserve is home to beech and beech-fir flowering forests, ravine forests with lime and maple trees, and upland spring areas. Čertov is also a habitat for brown bears, Eurasian lynxes and wolves. Information about the forests, springs and wildlife provides nature lovers with specific ways to explore the protected area.

Winter Sports and Cycling

SKI Čertov is located at an altitude of 600 to 900 m above sea level. Five ski lifts serve 5.4 km of pistes; the ski area has seven runs in total. The resort also includes the Alpinka ski school, a ski equipment rental service and a ski repair service. Seasonal availability of these services may vary. For cross-country skiing, Ski Čertov Javorníky offers 15 km of trails. Check the operating status and availability of the services listed for your travel dates.

The green cycling route 5314 runs through the entire municipality to the Čertov recreation area. It is designated as a leisure route, is 15.6 km long and is paved. The Mladoňov educational trail is a shorter route with a different layout: a self-guided, linear hiking and cycling trail that runs in one direction and can be used year-round. It is 1.1 km long, with an elevation gain of 42 m. The trail has seven stops and takes about 45 minutes, including the stops.

The educational trail starts on the main road, at the turn-off to the Mladoňov settlement, beside the war memorial and a bus stop. It focuses on the burning of the Mladoňov settlement by fascists during the Second World War. The Mladoňov war memorial is a national cultural monument.

Churches and Local History

The Roman Catholic Church of the Virgin Mary dates from 1801. Its bells, from 1721, come from an earlier wooden church. The Evangelical church was built between 1846 and 1859 on the site of an older toleration church and features elements of Neo-Romanesque architecture. It preserves a baptismal font from 1801 and a bell from 1802. The different construction dates and preserved objects make the local church history tangible through specific examples.

The House of History displays traditional costumes, household vessels, a spinning wheel, a loom, old skis, flails and historical photographs. The rural character of the area is also part of its history: over the centuries, Lazy Pod Makytou has retained its Kopaničiarsky character, associated with cattle and sheep farming as well as arable agriculture. The municipality hosts the “Kýčerského spievanky” recitation competition in memory of the poet Pavol Kokeš-Kýčerský.

Planning Your Stay

In Čertov, the Wellness & Spa Hotel Čertov*** offers beer baths as a wellness experience; reservations and availability may change. To get to Čertov, you can take a bus towards Lazy Pod Makytou or Čertov from Púchov railway station or from the stop by the post office. From there, it is a 300 m walk to Chata Alpina. Check the bus timetable before travelling, as it may change.

Discover more destinations: Belusa, Puchau, Dolné Kočkovce, Záriečie, Zubák, Mojtín, Nimnica, Dolná Breznica.

For the broader travel overview: Púchov.