Rajecká Lesná

Rajecká Lesná (formerly Fryvald-Lesná; Hungarian: Frivaldnádas, until 1906 Trsztyennafrivald) is a village and municipality in Žilina District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia.

Rajecká Lesná
Municipality
Flag
Rajecká Lesná Location of Rajecká Lesná in the Žilina Region Show map of Žilina Region Rajecká Lesná Location of Rajecká Lesná in Slovakia Show map of Slovakia
Coordinates: 49.05°N 18.65°E / 49.05; 18.65
Country	Slovakia
Region	Žilina Region
District	Žilina District
First mentioned	1474
Area [1]
• Total	39.27 km2 (15.16 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	508 m (1,667 ft)
Population  (2021)[3]
• Total	1,219
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	131 5[2]
Area code	+421 41[2]
Car plate	ZA
Website	www.rajeckalesna.info

History

In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1474. Rajecka Lesna has been a place of pilgrimage since the 15th century. The largest pilgrimage takes place on 8 September, the feast of Virgin Mary's Nativity.

Geography

The municipality lies at an altitude of 513 metres and covers an area of 39.264 km². It has a population of about 1300 people.

Population

Population statistic (10 years)^[4]

Year	1994	2004	2014	2024
Count	1280	1300	1219	1192
Difference		+1.56%	−6.23%	−2.21%

Population statistic^[4]

Year	2023	2024
Count	1212	1192
Difference		−1.65%

It has a population of 1192 people (31 December 2024).^[5]

Ethnicity

Census 2021 (1+ %)^[6][7]

Ethnicity	Number	Fraction
Slovak	1224	99.18%
Total	1234

In year 2021 was 1234 people by ethnicity 1224 as Slovak, 10 as Not found out, 6 as Other, 6 as English, 5 as Czech, 2 as Austrian, 1 as Russian, 1 as Polish i 1 as Moravian.

The difference between the population numbers above and in the census (here and below) is that the population numbers above are mostly made up of permanent residents, etc.; and the census should indicate the place where people actually mainly live.
For example, a student is a citizen of a village because he has permanent residence there (he lived there as a child and has parents), but most of the time he studies at a university in the city.

Religion

Census 2021 (1+ %)^[8]

Religion	Number	Fraction
Roman Catholic Church	1094	88.65%
None	106	8.59%
Total	1234

In year 2021 was 1234 people by religion 1094 from Roman Catholic Church, 106 from None, 9 from Not found out, 5 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 5 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 4 from Old Catholic Church, 3 from Other, 3 from Evangelical Church, 2 from Greek Catholic Church, 1 from Czechoslovak Hussite Church, 1 from Church of the Brethren i 1 from Ad hoc movements.