Kysuce Subregion The territory of Kysuce Region with the area covering 935 sq. km is situated in north-western part of Žilina Region. It borders with Poland and Czech Republic. It is covered mostly by woods od the mountains Kysucké Beskydy, Javorníky, Turzovská vrchovina and Kysucká vrchovina. Its less elevated parts up to 350 m a.s.l. are along the valleys of the rivers Kysuca and Bystrica. The highest peak is Veľká Rača (1,236 m a.s.l.). The territory belonged since the Middle Ages to Trenčín County, in 1923-1928 to Považská County. Čadca and Kysucké Nové Mesto became municipalities from 1886 and again from 1996. Currently, in 4 towns and 33 settlements live more than 126,000 inhabitants. The most populated is Čadca with the population of 26,700, then follows Kysucké Nové Mesto with more than 16,500, Turzovka with more than 7,800, Krásno nad Kysucou with 7,000 inhabitants; among the villages Oščadnica has over 5,500, Skalité and Raková about 5,000 inhabitants. The rest of villages have less than 4,000 inhabitants, the least populated is Rudinka with 381 people. First written mention about Kysuce is from 1244, about Kysucké Nové Mesto from 1254. The rest of towns and villages arouse in the 14th – 16th centuries. Since medieval times, the settlements of the Region belonged to the Budatín Domain, to Žilina town and later to Strečno Domain.
Photos: archiv Slovak cycle club
The Region has a number of interesting and unique cultural relics. The National Cultural Relic is the turning point forest railway Nová Bystrica-Vychylovka, which is in seasonal commission from 29 April to 28 October. Here still the historical locomotives from 1909 and 1916 work. Kysuce has further the two urban protected zones - Klokočov-Do Kršle and in Kysucké Nové Mesto, also Povina-Tatári. To cultural relics belong the Baroque church in Čadca from 1735 with paintings of J. B. Klemens, the originally Gothic church from the end of the 13th century (rebuilt in 1906 to neo-Romanesque style) in Kysucké Nové Mesto, where there is also further Classic style church from 1801, neo-Gothic church at Raková from 1875 with a painting by J. B. Klemens, late-Baroque church at Skalité from 1794, the Baroque Church at Turzovka from 1759 with a Calvary by J. B. Klemens, the Baroque-Classical church at Zakopčie from 1791, a park and manor house at Oščadnica. A cultural heritage is also an archaeological site Koscelisko near Radola, and protected cultural items: a dwelling house No. 147 at Dolný Vadičov, in Kysucké Nové Mesto burgher houses No. 75, 163, 164, 195, the upper parish-house, Myto hotel, a brewery (No. 174), Renaissance manor house at Radola from the early 17th century, dwelling house No. 255 at Povina - the settlement Tatári and others. The Region possesses totally 93 immovable and 81 movable protected cultural relics. To the most important institutions in the field of culture belongs the Kysuce Museum in Čadca with a well known and frequently visited branch the Museum of Kysuce Village at Nová Bystrica-Vychylovka with a permanent ethnographic exposition in the open. Another branch is at the manor house at Radola. The Kysuce Gallery in Čadca has its branch in the manor house at Oščadnica. Čadca is also a seat of the Kysuce Library. The oldest centre of tourism in Kysuce Region is Makov. The whole area offers diverse opportunities for tourism, hiking and recreation all-year-round. It provides excellent conditions lor down-hill and cross-country skiing with a great number of ski tows, similarly as a centre of tourist traffic of international importance at Oscadnica-Vel'ka Raca, and further well known ski and tourism centres in Kysuce. The highest elevated areas Vel'ka Raca and Vel'ky javorni'k (1071 m a.s.l.) are National Natural Reserves, however beautiful virgin natural sceneries and spots can by found elsewhere in the Region. In the area of Turzovka-Živčáková lies a well-known pilgrims' destination with the springs of curative watter and the Chapel of Virgin Mary.