Terchová

The music of Terchová is played by a string band of three or six musicians, typically two or three violins, a viola and a small bass, with the players singing in multipart harmony as they play, at a pitch and speed particular to this valley. UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List in 2013. Terchová is also the birthplace of Juraj Jánošík, the outlaw of Slovak folklore, marked by a large statue above the village and a summer festival.

What you actually see

• The string band music - three to six players singing in harmony as they play.
• The Janosik statue - a large aluminium figure on the hill above the village.
• The summer festival - the Janosik Days, when the bands play across the village.
• The Vratna valley - the Mala Fatra mountains rising directly behind.

When to go

The Janosik Days festival in late July or early August is when the music is most present. Bands also play at village events year round. May to October is the walking season for the valley.

Honest expectations

Outside the festival hearing the music means arranging it or finding a band playing at an event; it is not on a timetable. The village is crowded in summer with Mala Fatra walkers. The Janosik statue divides opinion.

Nearby

Janosikove diery are up the valley, and Zilina is west.