There are seven of them in the Municipality of Korňa in the upper Kysuce. They were brought to people's attention via the project of cross-border cooperation between Poland and the Slovak Republic implemented in August 2013.

We have decided to have a deeper insight into these wonders that can be divided into two categories – tangible ones (Windmill, Korňa oil spring, lime trees on Vígľaši, Marian Pilgrimage Site Živčáková, Parish Church of the Divine Heart of Jesus) and intangible ones (architecture and traditions). All of them, as listed above, have been included as particular items in the walking circuit recommended to you. You´d better pack some snacks and reserve a half of a day for the trip that is quite easy, even if you walk with your little ones.

Približná trasa, ktorú sme vybrali:

Čadca – Turzovka - Korňa settlement of Galuščákovci, Windmill – settlement of Jančíkovci, Korňa oil spring - on Skotna, lime trees on Vígľaš – U Žilov – U Chajdov – U Zelenkov, Marian pilgrimage site Živčáková – U Zelenkov – U Studenta – Mravcovci, Korňa cemetery, parish church of the Divine Heart of Jesus, wooden church of the Divine Heart of Jesus - Korňa center - Turzovka - Čadca.

Several means of transport - train and bus, bus, own car, or bicycle can get you to the Korňa. We went from Čadca to Turzovka by train, we than changed to a bus to Korňa (you must get off at the first stop called Jendrísek). Not far from the bus stop, you will come across the first of the wonders – the windmill.
The construction is an interesting imitation of an old windmill located in the settlement U Šulcov. The technical condition of the old windmill has deteriorated by time. It is built in the area with a difficult access, therefore you have to walk about three kilometres through the forest to get to it. Nonetheless, it is still worth walking there while admiring the surroundings, listening to the sounds of the unspoilt countryside and finally, it is worth continuing to other places of interest. Be sure to note the difference between the two mills. The equipment of the old mill is rumoured to have been brought to Korňa by the forefather of Jozef Gajdičiar, who worked in Ostrava as a miner. The blades were propelled mainly by the north wind, which was the best for grinding flour. The fact that about 70 similar mill structures have been preserved in Moravia, and the identical one was brought to Slovakia from Poland cannot be forgotten. We recommend taking some grain with you and trying to grind your own flour.

Pôvodný mlyn v osade u Šulcov, foto: R. Gajdica

If you continue along the main road towards the village a few tens of meters, you will arrive at the settlement of Muchovci where you will see a board with an arrow - Korňa oil spring which is the second wonder of the village. You shall turn left onto a slightly rising gravel road to reach the spring right away. Reminding of an oil tower from the distance, the wooden construction with a Slovak flag will show you the spot.

The Korňa oil spring is a geological rarity listed among the rarities of European relevance. It is a natural source of light oil with occasional spurts of self-igniting methane. The oil is concentrated in a small pond with a diameter of 1.5-2 m. During World War II, people used the oil as source of light for their homes. Its discovery is accompanied by two rumours: the first one says that it was discovered by a poacher who fell into it while chasing game, whereas the second one recounts a story on devils which were coming and drinking the springing black water in the forests behind Turzovka. Standing by the spring, you will notice its unusual smell. If you want to read more and watch the recording of the Televíkend show about the Korňa oil spring, you can do so on this link.

From the Korňa oil spring, you will move on to the third wonder of the village of Korňa – lime trees at Vígľaš. You are sure to find them if you continue along the road to the settlement of Skotňa. The journey will take approximately ten minutes on foot. You will come to a blue house neighboured by a small grocery shop. After you cross the bridge again and turn right, you will see a slightly rising road and an information board about lime-trees.

You will see lime trees from afar on the left side. Almost in front of the door of a family house, take the path leading to the forest or walk along the road. You will see the most characteristic thing for the village - three-hundred-year-old lime trees which have become a symbol figured in the coat of arms of Korňa. The population of lime trees is quite specific with a few unique lime trees such as the one on Grúň with its trunk circumference of up to 6 meters. These lime trees will enchant you with their massiveness and peacefulness embracing you when you stand under their crown. Just listen to the sounds and enjoy the scenery.

To get back, you shall return to the main road by the same route, crossing the bridge again to the blue house and turning right there, to the settlement of U Žilov. From here, a longer ascending path leads to Mount Živčák – a well-known pilgrimage site with healing water springs and apparitions of the Virgin Mary. When you come to the intersection of paths (the end of the settlement U Žilov), you will find a bell and an orientation board. From this point, you shall expect a relatively steep climb (about 30 minutes). However, you can take a break and sit on a bench, admire the surrounding nature, and take a deep breath of fresh mountain air. Clean water springs out near the roofed bench, where you will find glasses to drink and quench your thirst.

Ascending a few meters, you will come to a few houses and the nearby forest. When you come out of the forest after a while, you shall continue uphill and you will see an old ski lift with cottages - that is the settlement U Chajdov. The architecture is worth noticing as this is one of the seven wonders of the village.

Walking a short distance from here, you will see the top of the Živčák mountain with the majestic Church of Our Lady Mother of the Church consecrated in October 2015.

The Marian pilgrimage site Živčáková is the fourth wonder of Korňa. The path will take you directly to the Church of Our Lady, Mother of the Church which also serves as an observation tower. Currently, this tower is only accessible if the weather permits. The church is the starting point of a marked path leading to the Chapel of Our Lady, Queen of Peace. Stopping for a while and immersing yourself into the atmosphere of the magic place is a great idea. A female silhouette resembling the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to the gamekeeper Matúš Lašút right here. The rumour quickly spread around, and people began flooding to the place. Even bans from the communist government did not restrain the pilgrims from coming even from the neighbouring countries. On the way to the Chapel, there are springs of healing water which has already cured many people of their ailments. Along the way to and from the Chapel, countless pictures attached to the trees and thanksgiving tablets placed at the springs act as an expression of gratitude for the many healings.

From the Chapel, the road leads further, through the forest. This road will take you to the town of Turzovka. It is a narrow road down the hill, which will slowly take you down through the entire valley. Walking past the Stations of the Cross, you will finally reach the end of the path at a coloured board with the indication Mount Živčák. From there, you shall walk a short distance to get to the railway station. Read more about Živčáková.

The second road leads back to the church and down the hill through the forest. On the way down, you will be passing by the Stations of the Cross mounted either in the forest, on the meadows or in the village itself. When you reach the local cemetery, stop for a moment to enjoy the view of the village, its centre and the surrounding area.

If you continue along the road, you will come to the brick Church of the Divine Heart of Jesus. Walking past the Church, you will get at the place where the road crosses the river, and you will see the wooden church of the Divine Heart of Jesus - the fifth wonder of the village of Korňa. Initially, the building was the house of the local teacher Karol Sýkora, but the villagers rebuilt it into a church in 1956, as it was difficult to walk to the 6 km distant Turzovka. The church was used for services until 1994, when a new brick church was open and consecrated. It is worth mentioning that its foundation stone was sanctified by the pope John Paul II during his visit to Slovakia.

Walk a short distance from the churches to the village centre where you can decide what to see next. You can go to other highland hamlets (there are more than thirty of them in Korňa) and discover the beauty of the Kysuce nature (trees, streams, hills) and the skills of the natives reflected in the characteristic style of their houses, gardens and fields. Architecture is the sixth wonder of the village of Korňa. It will be catching your attention during the entire journey through the settlements of Škorňov Grúň, Slezákovci, Nižní Slezákovci, Sobčákovci. The seventh wonder of Korňa is the tradition of Hricovia (scary masks dropping in the households on Christmas Eve). They were accompanying the actors presenting nativity scenes and they were singing carols. They could be easily recognized by clothes - furs, masks and long colourful ribbons blowing in the breeze, bells, bells and whatever that was making a lot of noise.

The route recommended to you has a strongly informative character but is a relaxing way of spending your time. It can be viewed as an unconventional way of exploring one of the many interesting places in Kysuce. Do not hesitate and come to discover the Seven Wonders of Korňa.

See more photos: