Meet the Robin Hood of Slovakia
Terchová is a large village and municipality in the Malá Fatra mountains in the Žilina District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia. It offers so much to see, but we stopped there only for a second on our way.
Our goal was the monument of Janošík.
Who was Jánošík?
He was a national hero in Slovakia, and legend says he was a robber who “took from the rich and gave to the poor.” His legend goes way back in Slovakia, and many books have been written about him, idolizing him with extraordinary abilities like jumping over high walls or walking through fire.
In real life, he was a soldier taking part in the revolt aimed against the Habsburgs, who were seeking to gain more control over the Slovak lands. He later left the army and became the leader of a band of bandits operating in the woods.
He was captured in a pub where legend says that while he was escaping, a woman dumped a bowl of peas on the ground, causing Janošík to slip and fall, and thus he was caught.
He was held in the castle Vranovo and tortured for a long while, but historical records show he never confessed to anything.
Later they hanged him.
He significantly influenced Slovak folklore, especially with the traditional attire he wore, like his belt with iron buckles or the hat he always wore and the so-called valaška (an ornate axe) in his hand.
He is also very well known for his long braided hair, and the style became very popular while he was alive.
He was a trendsetter.
Read also about Janošik’s Holes
Accessibility
The monument is very accessible. You can stop and waddle up just like we did. From the main road, we took a little detour and parked at the free parking space underneath the statue.
From there, it is a short waddle uphill where the monument stands.
The overall waddle will take you up to 10 minutes. The hill is less steep and about 260 m (about 0.16 miles) long.
Before you know it, you are standing next to Janošík and enjoying the same beautiful view as he is.
It was a short stop but worth it.
Who made the statue of Jánošík in Terchová?
The inhabitants of the village Terchová had a statue of Jánošik made to guard the entrance to the Vrátna valley. He was, after all, from the village itself. The large-scale statue is made of sheet iron and measures 7.5 m (24.6 feet). It was sculpted in 1988 by Ján Kulich.