Vlkolínec is a village under the administration of the town of Ružomberok in Slovakia. Historically, however, it was a separate village. The first written mention of the village came from 1376 and after 1882 it became part of Ružomberok. Its name is probably derived from the Slovak word "vlk", i.e. wolf.
Vlkolínec has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, and is one of ten Slovak villages that have been given the status of a folk architecture reservations. This status was granted because the village is an untouched and complex example of folk countryside architecture of the region of the Northern Carpathians.
Vlkolínec, situated in the centre of Slovakia, is a remarkably intact settlement with the traditional features of a Central European village. It is the region's most complete group of these kinds of traditional log houses, often found in mountainous areas. The village consists of more than 45 log houses each of them made up of two or three rooms. A wooden belfry from the 18th century as well as the baroque chapel have also been preserved. Houses No. 16 and 17 have been turned into a folk museum with all the instruments of daily life and work.
See also
- Other historical reservations of folk architecture in Slovakia
- Brhlovce
- Čičmany
- Osturňa
- Plavecký Peter
- Podbiel
- Sebechleby
- Špania Dolina
- Veľké Leváre
- Ždiar
- Other similar World Heritage Sites
- Hollókő in Hungary
- Holašovice in Czech Republic
- Gammelstad Church Town in Sweden
Gallery
<gallery>
Image:Vlkolínec - socha.JPG|Wooden carved sculpture at the entrance to the village
Image:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 020.jpg|Typical interior of one of the houses
Image:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 018.jpg|House in Vlkolínec
Image:Vlkolinec house 47.jpg|House No. 47 in Vlkolínec
Image:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 016.jpg|Belfry in Vlkolínec
Image:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 015.jpg|Street in Vlkolínec
Image:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 019.jpg|Street in Vlkolínec
Image:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 002.jpg|House in Vlkolínec
File:Vlkolínec 2.jpg
</gallery>