A fairytale village with “gingerbread cottages” – wooden houses with richly decorated exterior
log walls featuring white geometric patterns. Ornaments of this kind are unique in Central
Europe. There are more than 130 houses in the village. In order to preserve this culture for
future generations, a part of the village was declared a heritage reserve of folk architecture in
1977. In the village, folk traditions have been preserved to the present day. Not only pictures

and tablecloths are embroidered here, but also magnificent traditional costumes, using a
technique called geometric ornamentation
An interesting fact
The ornaments probably originated by accident, when housewives realised that the
remaining mixture used for sealing gaps could be employed to decorate their houses,
drawing inspiration from the patterns of traditional costumes.
How to get there?
The village of Čičmany lies in the Strážov Mountains (Strážovské vrchy), almost at the
source of the Rajčianka River. From the main road Rajec – Nitrianske Pravno, turn right after
Fačkov.
Parking
A small parking lot is located near Raden's House (Radenov dom) in the centre of the village,
where the exhibition of the Považie Museum is situated.