Terchová is a mountain tourist village situated at the mouth of the Vratna valley in Mala Fatra. It is an excellent starting point for active tourism, mountain hiking in summer, and downhill and cross-country skiing in winter.
The town already existed in the Middle Ages and was the local woodworking center. As early as the 18th century, a dozen or so sawmills powered by water wheels operated here. Unfortunately, the old buildings have not survived to our times, because at the end of World War II the entire village was burnt down by the Germans.
Juraj Janosik was born in Terchova in 1688, the protagonist of many stories, legends, and recently also films. It is commonly considered a symbol of the "good" robber who took the rich and distributed the wealth to the poor. As a tribute to Janosik, in 1988, at the inlet of the Vratna Valley, a huge steel sheet monument was erected.
The main attraction of Terchova are the local landscapes and nature. The village is located on the edge of the Mala Fatra National Park, which is known for its picturesque mountain views, rocks and well-prepared hiking trails. A popular excursion destination is the Janosikove Diery gorge, where you walk through tunnels cut into the rocks and climb ladders up the rocks.
