Stará Bystrica

Stará Bystrica rebuilt its square in the 2000s and put an astronomical clock in it, finished in 2009: the mechanism is set in a wooden structure shaped as a seated Madonna of Sorrows, with the dial in her body, and at set hours six carved figures of Slovak historical figures process out. It is the only astronomical clock in Slovakia and is claimed as the largest wooden statue of its kind in the country.

What you actually see

• The astronomical clock - the only one in Slovakia, finished in 2009.
• The Madonna form - the mechanism set in a carved seated figure.
• The procession - six carved historical figures moving out on the hour.
• The square - the rebuilt village centre the clock stands in.

When to go

April to October is the most comfortable. The figures process at set hours, so timing the visit matters. The village is quiet year round.

Honest expectations

It is a modern construction, not a historic clock, which surprises some visitors. The village has little else and the visit takes half an hour. The procession happens only at set times.

Nearby

Vychylovka is east, and Cadca is west.