Múzeum slovenskej dediny - Jahodnícke háje
Múzeum slovenskej dediny is an exhibition falling under Slovenské národné múzeum in Martin. This exhibition has been built in the Jahodnícke háje location in the southeastern part of the town of Martin since the 1960s. It is the largest open-air ethnographic exhibition in Slovakia, which opened its doors to the public for the first time in 1972, operating year-round since 2004.
Covering an area of 15.5 hectares, there are more than 150 buildings of residential, agricultural, technical, social, and sacral character originating from the regions of northwestern Slovakia. Not all of them are interior-accessible to museum visitors, but many are. The represented regions include Orava, Turiec, Kysuce - Podjavorníky, and Liptov.
The oldest accessible exhibition of the open-air museum complex is the Orava region. It was built in two stages, between 1968–1972 and 1980–1984. The most remarkable of the homesteads is undoubtedly the gentry homestead from Vyšný Kubín from 1748. The region is represented by 10 peasant homesteads. However, visitors will also see technical structures (an oil press from Oravské Veselé, a blacksmith workshop from Suchá Hora), social buildings (a forester's lodge and a pub from Oravská Polhora), small sacral objects (a chapel from Bzin a Krušetnica), and solitary units of various agricultural structures (granaries and potato pits from Zuberec, Dlhá nad Oravou, and Sedliacka Dubová).
The Turiec region was built between 1974–1990, although the exhibition is still not completed according to the original plan. The dominant feature is a Roman Catholic wooden church from Rudno from 1792, in which Lutheran Services of God or Roman Catholic Holy Masses take place during programmed events. In total, the region has 7 built homesteads (from Dubové, Moškovec, Nolčovo, Trebostovo, Čremošné, Sklabiňa, and Slovany), 6 sacral buildings (a church from Rudno, chapels from Benice, Slovany, and Polerieka, bell towers from Košťany and Ondrašová), 2 craft workshops (a hatter and cloth-making workshop from Veľký Čepčín), 4 social buildings (a shop and fire station from Laskár, a gentry manor house from Blažovce, a gazebo from Slovenské Pravno, a carriage house from Moškovec), and solitary agricultural structures (a barn from Blatnica, a granary from Karlová, and an agricultural part of a homestead from Kaľamenová).
The Kysuce - Podjavorníky region presents the culture and folk architecture of the Kysuce, Javorníky, Žiarska kotlina, Rajecká dolina, and middle Považie regions. The exhibition was built between 1972–1985. The elementary school building from Petrovice and the shepherd's hut from Papradno represent the most widespread variant of seasonally used structures in the outer areas of villages in the Javorníky region. Peasant homesteads from Kysuce are presented in street development, while seasonally used structures from the Kysuce and Javorníky regions are found in the form of scattered settlements.
The construction of the Liptov region exhibition was carried out between 1974–1990, and in 2005 the first two homesteads were opened to visitors. These are homesteads from Vavrišovo and Východná. There are also homesteads not open to the public from Liptovská Lužná, Hubová, Nižná Boca, and Liptovská Sielnica, a bell tower from Trstené, granaries from Ludrová and Hubová, a small stable from Nižná Boca, a gentry manor house from Kráľová Lehota, a shelter/winter cabin from Malinné, cowherds' quarters from Liptovská Lužná, a residential house from Vitálišovce, and haylofts from Liptovská Kokavy.
The exhibition of the entire open-air museum provides visitors with an authentic picture of traditional folk architecture, housing, and the way of life in northwestern Slovakia during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The original intention was to create a comprehensive picture of the way of life and traditional building culture throughout Slovakia, naturally illustrating individual typological and regional architectural specifics.
When you feel like grabbing a refreshment during your museum tour, visit the pub building from Oravská Polhora, which is used for these purposes. Creative workshops using traditional manufacturing techniques and materials are also organized in the open-air museum for elementary schools. You can reach us by car from the town center via Jesenská ulica street, heading toward Turčianske Teplice or Banská Bystrica.
The surroundings of Martin offer many other interesting attractions worth visiting. When planning your tour of Múzeum slovenskej dediny, be sure to plan a multi-day trip. The area will offer you many beauties and activities to enjoy, while our website will provide comfortable accommodation Martin.
