Malá Fatra

Sacred Sites & Historic Churches

This collection details the religious architecture of the Little Fatra region, featuring the Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Rajecká Lesná, famous for the monumental wood-carved Slovak Bethlehem. The list covers various historical periods, from the 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic apse in Rajecká Lesná to the 18th-century Baroque church in Čičmany. These sites, including small forest chapels in Valčianska dolina and parish churches in Belá and Gbeľany, reflect the area's long-standing Catholic traditions and artistic craftsmanship.

Bazilika Narodenia Panny Márie

Pilgrimage site in Rajecká Lesná housing the Slovak Bethlehem, a massive wood-carved nativity scene. The church was elevated to a basilica minor in 2002.

Kostol Sedembolestnej Panny Márie

Roman Catholic parish church located in the village of Belá.

Sv. Bartolomeja

Baroque structure in Čičmany built in 1798 on the foundations of an older Gothic building, featuring a late-Baroque interior.

svätého Michala Archaniela

Baroque-Classicist building in Gbeľany dating back to the mid-18th century.

sv. Kríža

Roman Catholic church situated in the village of Valča.

Apsida Kostola Márie kráľovnej anjelov

Preserved Romanesque-Gothic apse from a 13th-century structure, located near the newer basilica in Rajecká Lesná.

Sv. Hubert

Small chapel in Valčianska dolina dedicated to the patron saint of hunters.

St Joseph Chapel

Historic village chapel located in Valča.