The tinsmithing past of the settlement is nowadays recalled by a few buildings: the birthplace of tinsmith entrepreneurs Štefan Hunčík and his brother Jozef. The two tinsmiths with their business partner Imrich Krutošík from Jedľovník owned a factory for tin and wire products in Moscow at the beginning of the 20th century. The factory employing 500 workers was operating in Russia until 1917, when the revolution broke out. Their property was nationalized and the successful tinsmithing entrepreneurs returned home with their families under dramatic circumstances.

Out of gratitude for such protection, the Hunčík family built a tin chapel in the village of Vrchrieka near their house. About a 10-minute walk from the place, there is a brick chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Rosary. It was also built by the Hunčík family.

Anyone entering anyone entering this mountain settlement will be welcome tinsmith's houses, chapels, and by a field cross standing between two lime trees from 1760. There are also several wooden houses with yards, all of them nicely maintained and preserved in a cottage style.

As the settlement of Vrchrieka is a part of the large Javorníky trail (starting at the spring of Kysuce in Makov and ending at the confluence of Kysuce and Váh in Budatín), the unique permanent exhibition of tinsmithing in the premises of Budatín Castle is noteworthy as well. The exhibition recounts the story of tinkering. The courage and skill of tinkers and their apprentices who travelled the world to earn a living for their families. Their descendants still live in Kysuce and continue in the tinkering tradition to represent Kysuce in the world.

Following the tourist signs, the hiking trails will lead you south from the settlement to the village of Veľké Rovné and north to the village of Vysoká nad Kysucou which this settlement is adherent to.

autor: OCR Kysuce