Are you looking for a place where refreshing relaxation by the water perfectly combines with high-mountain hiking? You don't have to travel abroad! Liptovská Mara offers the best of both worlds and is an absolutely ideal starting point for your next active trip.

Slovak Atlantis: Sacrificed Villages

• Thirteen flooded villages: Due to the construction of the dam between 1969 and 1975, up to 13 villages (e.g., Liptovská Sielnica, Palúdzka, Parížovce, Sokolče, Vrbie, and others) had to disappear completely or partially beneath the water surface.

• Displacement of thousands of people: Approximately 4,000 residents had to leave their homes. Entire communities were relocated, and for many, new housing estates were built in Liptovský Mikuláš or in the new Liptovská Sielnica.

• Birthplace of a hockey legend underwater: In the flooded village of Sokolče, the famous hockey player and NHL legend Stan Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth) was born. His family home now lies at the bottom of the dam. The downhill skier Ján Starší was also born in the same village.

Lonely Tower and Relocated History

• Iconic tower on the shore: The most famous photo spot of Liptovská Mara is the solitary tower of the Early Gothic Church of the Virgin Mary. The rest of the church was dismantled before flooding, and its most precious parts (vaults, portals, frescoes) were transferred to the Museum of Liptov Village in Pribylina, where its exact copy was built.

Gothic manor in the museum: From the village of Parížovce, the Gothic-Renaissance manor house was also rescued and transferred to Pribylina, which was the oldest noble residence in Liptov.

Technical and Geographical "Bests"

• Largest in Slovakia (by volume): Although the Orava Dam has a larger area, Liptovská Mara is the absolute record holder in volume. It holds an incredible 360.5 million cubic meters of water.

• Relocation of the railway and roads: The construction of such a gigantic project required the relocation of the main railway line (Košice–Bohumín Railway) over a length of approximately 18 kilometres, as well as the state road.

• Powerful power plant: Below the dam there is a hydroelectric power plant with four turbines (two Kaplan and two fully reversible Deriaz turbines). In addition to generating electricity, the dam primarily serves as protection against catastrophic floods on the Váh River, which in the past regularly devastated the region.

Mysticism and nature in the surroundings

• Paradise for birds and anglers: The Ratkovie Peninsula, which extends into the dam, is a protected area with a strict degree of protection (arboretum). The entire water surface is an important ornithological site where rare species of water birds nest and winter. The dam is also known for impressive fish catches (pikeperch, carp, pike).

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