Oravská Polhora

Village in Slovakia

Coat of arms

49°31′N 19°27′E / 49.517°N 19.450°E / 49.517; 19.450CountrySlovakiaRegionŽilinaDistrictNámestovoFirst mentioned1550Area

• Total84.52 km² (32.63 sq mi)Elevation

688 m (2,257 ft)Population

(2004-12-31)

• Total3,623 • Density43/km² (110/sq mi)Postal code

029 47

Area code+421-43Car plateNOWebsitewww.oravskapolhora.sk

Oravská Polhora (Hungarian: Polhora) is a large village and municipality in Námestovo District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia. The northernmost point of Slovakia is located close to the village.

History

In 1550, the Upper Hungarian Chamber, believing that the right of the royal salt monopoly was being violated in the area, sent two royal commissioners from Hallstadt, Andreas Kraiser and Joseph Milaver, who were experts in salt mining, to Slaná Voda. They were accompanied by the administrator of the customs checkpoint from Tvrdošín. The commissioners wrote an extensive report on the visit to the springs and attached a manuscript map of the wider area, in which, Oravská Polhora can be seen. This was the first time the village was mentioned. The second mention of the village was in 1580, the third in 1588.

On October 1, 1939, following the Munich agreement, Polish troops, using Czechoslovak weakness to solve all border disputes in their favor, marched into the very northern tip of Oravská Polhora, annexing the Jalovec mountain peak.

Geography

Oravská Polhora is the northernmost town in Slovakia. There is a border crossing in the eastern part of Oravská Polhora into the Polish village of Korbielów. The town is surrounded by the Oravské Beskydy mountain range, with its highest mountain being Babia Góra (1725 meters). Due to its mountainous nature, the town contains a lot of rivers. The biggest river in the town is Polhoranka.

The town contains a complex of forests and iodine-bromine springs, also known as spa salt water. In the 16-17th century, these springs were renowned locally, with rumors about them reaching even Vienna.