The Nativity Scene in Rajecká Lesná is one of the largest woodcarvings in Slovakia. Master
Jozef Pekara from Rajecké Teplice worked on it from 1980, and it took him fifteen years to
complete it. The wonderful exhibition depicts not only the birth of Christ in the city of
Bethlehem and his life, but also the history of the Slovak nation. The scene of the Nativity of
Christ is located in the centre of the work and is integrated into the village of Rajecká Lesná.
Representations of all Slovak regions, along with their most famous towns and monuments,
surround it. These include the castles of Devín, Bratislava, Trenčín and Oravský Podzámok,
as well as the cathedrals of Nitra, Trnava, Spišská Kapitula and Košice. In the background
stands Kriváň, one of the Tatra summits, which is a symbol of the Slovak landscape. The
nativity scene is 8.5 m long, 2.5 m wide and 3 m high. The Nativity Scene has total of 300
figures and more than half of them are mobile.
How to get there?
The Nativity Scene is located in the centre of the village of Rajecká Lesná, next to the
Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
Parking
Parking is available in the centre of the village, near the municipal office and the grocery
store.