Mountainous region rich of natural beauties, folklore and castles is situated in the north-west part of Slovakia. In its north-west part confines with Czech republic and in the north with Poland. The capital of the region is Zilina with more than 86.000 inhabitants. The region has 11 provinces: Zilina, Bytca, Cadca, Dolny Kubin, Kysucke Nove Mesto, Liptovsky Mikulas, Martin, Namestovo, Ruzomberok, Turcianske Teplice a Tvrdosin.
The tourist attractions of the region:
The historical and cultural monuments of the town and its provinces; the National Parks - The Western Tatras, the Low Tatras, the Low and High Fatras, the artificial lakes - Oravská priehrada and Liptovska Mara, the Spa towns - Rajecke Teplice and Turcianske Teplice, the open-air museums - Zuberec, Pribylina, Turzovka and Vychylovka, the Vlkolinec village - protected by Unesco, the Cicmany village with the typical decoration of the rural wooden houses, the castles - Orava, Budatin, Strecno and the Manor house in Bytca, the wooden church in Paludza.
The cultural events in the region:
- Cadca - April - Paláriková Raková - The national festival of the amateur theaters
- Cadca - September - MAGNIFICAT - Festival and the competition of sacred music
- Skalite - June - Gorálske slávnosti - International Festival of Folklore
- Ochodnica - July - the show of the folklore ensembles from Kysuce region
- Turzovka - August - The Beskydy folklore feast
- Nizna - May - Okolo Tatier (The turn of the Tatras)- through Tatras until Poland with the bicycles
- Nizna - August - Pltnícke dni - rafting on the Orava river
- Orava castle - June - the night guided tour
- Oravice - July - Festival of Folklore
- Vychodna - July - Festival of Folklore
- Pribylina - Septembe - Nedela sv. Huberta (The sunday of Saint Hubert)- the Feast in the Open Air Museum
- Terchova - August - Janosikove dni (Janosik days) - Festival of Folklore
- Bytca - September - Michalsky jarmok - The market of Saint Michael
- Zilina - March - EXPOTOUR - SLOVAKIA, International Tourism Trade Fair
