These articles were published in the Spectacular Slovakia travel guide, published annually by The Slovak Spectator since 1996. The latest editions can be obtained from our online shop.

Žilina: Confidently European

By Lucia Nicholsonová

Getting into town

Car

	Photo Ján Svrček

The narrow and winding E50 highway goes east from Žilina through Martin, Ružomberok and Liptovský Mikuláš to the High Tatras; another stretch of freeway takes you close to Poprad, from where the rest of the journey through Prešov to Košice is slow and crowded.

The highway north from Žilina through Čadca into Poland is another stretch of road that the Slovak side is working hard on upgrading into a freeway to provide a first-class road link through Slovakia from Poland to Hungary.

Bus

Buses leave for Žilina from Bratislava several times daily, taking up to four hours. Connections from Žilina to most Slovak and many European cities; the bus station lies opposite the train station towards town on Jána Milca Street, Tel: (041) 566-0111, 564-3734.

Train

Žilina lies at an international rail crossroads with direct links to Bratislava and Košice on the main Slovak line, and Prague, Warsaw, Moscow, and Budapest. The station lies on P.O. Hviezdoslav. For baggage claim Tel: (041) 561-5152, 562-3790, train information Tel: (041) 561-5154.

Air

Žilina has a small international airport that lies about 10 kilometers west of the town in the municipality of Dolný Hričov. It handles generally charter flights of up to 60 people. The runway is only 1,150 meters long, but in the near future there are plans to expand the airport.

Excursions

Žilina is the gateway to the Orava region, a less wealthy but strikingly beautiful area of mountains and uplands where sheep farming remains a major employer (see article on Orava, pages 104 to 107 in this guide). Terchová and Zázrivá to the north are among the villages whose cultural and folk attractions give them major tourist potential.

The manor house at Budatín is one of the most interesting excursions close to Žilina (daily 08:00 to 17:00, Mondays until 16:00, www.povazske.muzeum.sk). You might be better off taking a bus (No 21, 22 or 25), because it's not easy to find by car. Despite being told it was on the road to Čadca in the best "you can't miss it" style, we got lost twice, because it isn't marked, beyond a non-descript sign saying zámok (no concession to tourists here).

When we finally did find it, we were glad we had made the effort. The Budatínsky zámok is enclosed by a park from the 13th century, which, like the manor house itself, is looking a little unkempt. Some of the centuries-old trees are diseased, but the city has no money to do anything about it. What is more, the locals come here to walk their dogs, presenting the odd sight of our four-legged friends relieving themselves on a national cultural monument.

We paid Sk40 each to get in, and this modest sum hired us a personal tour guide who took us around the entire manor house. First we took in the exhibit dedicated to the tinker's trade, a traditional Slovak craft going back over 300 years. Today tinkering is practiced more as a hobby in the region than an industry, and produced largely decorative items such as earrings, bracelets and the like. Tinkering actually arose out of need, as the locals did not have the money to buy new pots and pans and dishes when their old ones wore out. Tinkers were so skilful in their use of wire that they were able to reassemble even broken crockery and ceramics, some of which are on display at the manor house.

Budatín also offers a rich collection of paintings of saints, largely from the 18th century, by unknown folk artists. The manor house was inhabited until 1945 by the noble Csáky family, one of whose descendants, Pál Csáky, was the deputy prime minister in the 2002-2006 Dzurinda government for the Hungarian Coalition Party. Žilina Mayor Ján Slota has said he wants to "clean" the Slovak government of the ethnic Hungarian influence, so it is ironic that the Csáky family ruled what is now Slota's fiefdom until quite recently. Perhaps that is why dogs are allowed into the park.

As we left the Budatín Manor House, I saw that plaster was falling from the building. "We're waiting for money from the EU, we need about Sk100 million for repairs," said our tour guide, while locking the massive doors. "It's the only way to save the manor house, because the last time it was reconstructed was in 1972." It occured to me how fitting it would be for the newly "European" Žilina to be renewed with EU money, particularly those parts of it that don't seem to be priorities for the city's Slovak administration.

Key areas

Old Town

	Photo Ján Svrček

To back up slightly, if you're coming from the train station you should take the commercial Národná Street to the Námestie Andreja Hlinka square, an attractive but rather large and empty space bordered on the right by a Tesco store. On the left are the Považské galéria umenia (art gallery, closed Mon, Tues-Fri 09:00 to 17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00 to 17:00) and the beautiful Mestské divadlo (Municipal Theater) building, erected during the Second World War.

When we were there work was being completed on the Farský kostol (Parish Church), which with the Farské schody (steps) represents the way in to the real heart of downtown Žilina, Mariánske námestie, which is a perfect square, 100 meters by 100 meters.

The square is dominated by the Jesuit Church of St Paul the Apostle (No 22), although there is nothing to indicate its identity. When I asked a woman coming out of the church what it was, I got a very rude stare and a finger pointed at a paper sign in the vestibule. "You're in a Catholic Church," she said sternly, as if I had suggested it was a brothel. Thanks, lady - as with other monuments in Žilina, sometimes you get the feeling tourists are supposed to have done a course on the city's history before visiting.

Come to think of it, the Farský kostol is another monument which is under-promoted. Also known as the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, it is built on the site of a 13th century manor house. When the manor house fell apart, a Gothic church was built there, later rebuilt in the Renaissance style. Not that any of this information is contained on the church itself!

I went back down to the Námestie Andreja Hlinku and sat on a bench in front of the fountain. Among the flocks of Žilina residents, the tourists were easy to spot - they were the ones who looked disoriented.

It doesn't help matters that the Information Center (Informačné centrum) functions only during the high season in July and August. The rest of the year the function is taken over by the Selinan travel agency on tiny Burianova Medzierka Street. The women in the shop seemed surprised to have tourists asking for information in May. They gave us a brochure from 2004. "Sorry, this is all we have, apart from some stuff in Polish," one woman said apologetically.

"I guess we came at a bad time," I suggested, but she shook her head. "No, it's the same every year."

The rest

Apart from its Old Town, Žilina is largely a collection of residential neighborhoods, including Hájik, on a hill to the southwest of the town, the youngest and wealthiest city district; Hliný, the oldest city quarter just behind the Old Town; Solinky, a warren of tenement housing that continues from Hliny; Vlčince to the east, along the highway leading to Martin; and the Chrasť forest park that contains most of Žilina University's science campus and leads out towards the gorgeous rolling countryside beyond.

Shopping

Žilina is not a retail Mecca, although you will find plenty of shops along Národná Street. Try also the Carrefour on Vysokoškolákov, Tel: (041) 506-5111 and Tesco on Sad SNP 3, Tel: (041) 562-2262, as well as the Dubeň shopping mall at Vysokoškolákov 52, Tel: (041) 500-1130, daily 08:00 to 21:00. Žilina is scheduled to get one of the Au Park shopping malls being built around Slovakia, but ground has not been broken yet.

Things to do

Apart from visiting Budatín, the Chrasť forest park, or walking around the Old Town trying to identify the monuments, you can check out some culture at the museum (Považské museum, Topoľová 1, Tel: (041) 500-1511) or the art gallery (Považská galeria umenia, M.R. Štefánika 2, Tel: (041) 562-2522), or do some star-gazing at the planetarium (Hvezdáreň, Horný Val 20, Tel: (041) 564-3200).

If you have a car, you might check out the single-nave wooden Church of St George in Trnové, a few kilometers to the southeast, the maginificent Strečno Castle above the Váh River in the same direction, and the Church of Stephen the King on Závodná Street, the oldest and most valuable monument in the region.

Internet cafes

Caffe Internet, M.R. Štefánika 29,Tel: (041) 507-0740
Mane Caffe, Horný Val 6, Tel: (041) 562-2011
Netcaffe Pohoda, Kukučínova 8, Tel: (041) 564-0099

Hotels, Restaurants and Amusements

Located in the Old Town in a quiet byway, the Grand takes a bit of finding. In 2010 it will celebrate 100 years of existence. The hotel was thoroughly reconstructed in 2004, and now represents the best option in the city.

The monumental Slovan is just out of the Old Town but still in the pedestrian zone. It looks forbidding, but don't be deceived - it too has moved with the times, and gives good value for the money.

A close second to the Grand, the Astoria is at the entrance to the shopping strip, and has a pleasant young-old feel to it, with helpful service and a summer patio.

This pension is in the Bôrik Park a short distance from downtown, and within a stone's throw of the sports hall, swimming pool and beach volleyball site. Not many frills, but a beautiful park setting.

A modern-style pension that has only been open for a year in Hliny district in the wider center of Žilina. Very comfy, slightly less convenient.

Restaurants

Maybe the best restaurant in town, on Mariánske namestie. About 50 dishes from Italian, vegetarian and Slovak cuisine. Service very professional, speaking various languages. A great experience.

This modern Italian restaurant offers 48 kinds of pizza. Suitable for families with small children, as it has a play area.

A classic Žilina restaurant and wine cellar offering cheap menu lunches and a ban on smoking from 09:00 to 14:00. Cold Plzeň on tap, try it with the cow's tongue (hovädzí jazyk).

This is Mayor Ján Slota's favorite restaurant, and suits his motorcycle-loving, hunting-enthusiast nature. Gold Wing offers crocodile, ostrich, kangaroo, zebra, buffalo... as well as an attractive beer patio where you may run across the great man sinking a few himself.

Bars and clubs

Migréna pub
P.O. Hviezdoslava 10
Tel: (041) 562-3377
Mon-Fri 10:00 to 24:00, Sat 15:00 to 01:00, Sun 15:00 to 11:00

Pub Cengálka
Komenského 6
Tel: (041) 700-3432
Mon-Fri 10:00 to 22:00,
Sat 13:00 to 22:00

Energy Pub
Vojtecha Tvrdého 7
Tel: (0907) 088-578
Mon-Thurs 09:00 to 10:00,
Fri 09:00 to 24:00, Sat 16:00 to 24:00

Guinness
Mariánske nám. 31
Mon-Thurs 09:00 to 24:00
Fri-Sat 09:00 to 02:00, Sun 09:00 to 24:00

Nosorožec (Rhinoceros)
Na Priekope
Tel: (0903) 833-333
Mon-Thurs 10:00 to 24:00
Fri-Sat to 03:00.

Entertainment

Cinemas

Kino Centrum
Hurbanova
Tel: (041) 562-4970
www.tatrafilm.sk

Klub
Nám. Ľ. Štúra
Tel: (041) 700-1253
www.zilina.net

Theaters

Mestské divadlo (Town Theater)
Horný Val 3
Tel: (041) 562-3703

Bábkové divadlo (Puppet Theater)
Kuzmányho 6
Tel: (041) 562-0315

Sports

Fitness Centrum-Šport Club
Tulská 33
Tel: (041) 565-6807

Fitness Zuzana
Smreková 22
Tel: (041) 700-3237

Squash and Tennis Center
Uhoľná 27
Tel: (041) 500-3693

Swimming

Nereus
Vysokoškolákov 8
Tel: (041) 500-2880

Žilina Indoor Town Pool
Vysokoškolákov 8
www.zilina.sk/plavaren

The zemepán of Žilina

	Photo Ján Krošlák

Slovakia's hockey heroes from the past seven decades look down as scores of men, mostly balding and in middle age, mill around the sandwich table and wine bar, talking loudly but keeping an eye on the door. Slota is expected any minute, and active-looking members of his entourage bustle back and forth chattering into mobile phones.

Mayor Slota is everywhere in Žilina, especially in this pre-election season. His face, with its airbrushed expression of patriotic probity, stares from billboards, bus shelters and information tables. Now in his 16th year as Žilina mayor, Slota's name is more closely bound to his city than that of any local politician in Slovakia. And with good reason - he has overseen a striking reconstruction of Žilina into a modern European town of 85,000, and with last year's announcement by KIA Motors that it was building a billion euro factory nearby, Žilina's economy and real estate market are booming.

On this spring day, President Ivan Gašparovic has been in town to help Slota unveil a new Sk30 million statue honoring Hurban, one of the 19th century founders of the Slovak nation. The Žilina mayor has been on the run all day, from a passionate stump speech at the monument ceremony to lunch and drinks with the bigwigs at his Gold Wing restaurant on the gorgeous Mariánske Square, and finally - over an hour late - to a meeting with the party faithful.

As he strolls down the stairs to the Hockey Hall of Fame, jaunty in a light spring suit and white shoes, he is taken in tow by determined but respectful admirers. Election flyers are proffered for signatures, cameras produced for photo ops with the great man. After satisfying the most importunate requests, Slota retreats to the steps, clutching a plastic cup brimming with white wine.

He thanks his audience for coming, many of them at their own expense, from distant parts of the country, and assures them the party will form part of the government after the June 17 elections. He ranges freely from one topic to another (not omitting the de rigeur reference to "those Hungarian vagabonds"), and concedes that not everyone in the room may approve of his methods or his leadership. "I don't say my way is ideal," he admits, "but I think it's optimal."

The speech ends with a toast - za vlasť, za národ, za slobodu ("to the country, to the nation, to freedom") - and then more photo ops and introductions.

In the late afternoon, Slota finds time for an interview in his office in the Town Hall. "Let's have something to drink," he says, and on learning I have a Scottish background, nips off and comes back with an enormous bottle of Johnny Walker - the kind with a central swivel that allows the bottle to be plied without lifting it. He pours the drinks; we meet each other's eye in the approved Slovak way, and drink.

"Žilina is so strong right now, both in its prospects and in its economy," he says. "The KIA investment last year was the largest investment anywhere in Europe, and it was built here in Žilina."

I ask him about public security, having been told by a Žilina policeman that while the mayor's office has extraordinary control over almost everything that goes on, at the same time the town has virtually no organized crime.

"Yes, that's a result of my mayorship," says Slota. "We wanted to eliminate certain elements that showed the city in a bad light. I say openly that some gypsies who stole from the former Prior [department store] or the current Tesco and who did other anti-social things in this town got their fingers rapped a little bit. But it wasn't just gypsies, it was also the white inhabitants, Slovaks. I made absolutely no distinctions. We built up a strong municipal police force and a strong surveillance system through cameras, and it brought even greater fruit than we expected. We got rid of theft and assault by anti-social people in the downtown core, pushing it to the outskirts or totally out of the district."

Having taught at Žilina University in 1995-1996, I am stunned by how wealthy and alive the town now seems, as well as by the ubiquitous presence of its mayor, who a decade ago was almost invisible to an outsider. Is he aware of the extent to which he dominates the city, or to which his infamous drinking and far-right pronouncements on minorities have become part of the national political folklore?

"I absolutely reject the "cult of personality" label," he growls. "Everyone who knows me knows that I am an absolutely normal, average person. People ask me why I don't have bodyguards, but what would I need them for, for God's sake? I go among people normally, I go to drink here on Mariánske námestie, I have a beer, not just one but sometimes five. They write about me that I'm an alcoholic, but let them write what they want. I am the way I am."

Slota's "regular guy" line is more than just a pose - it's really how he sees himself, as a man of the people whose energy and resource took him to the top, in the style of the feudal zemepán, a rich landowner who emerged from the people and kept the local peasants in work. Asked why he remains popular enough to take almost 12% of the national vote when most Slovaks publicly abhor his views on minorities, he leans close and says: "It's because at heart they're just like me."

Nor is he troubled by his bacchic reputation. "My work is what speaks for me, not whether I drink. That's shouldn't interest anyone. I care about what I do for Žilina, and I think I have done more for Žilina than any mayor for his town."

And with that, the mayor hares off, returning with a beautiful knife made from surgical steel and bearing the Žilina town emblem. "Here," he says, presenting the gift with an emotional handshake. "Here's something from the mayor of Žilina for you, too."

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