Važec

Važec (German: Waagsdorf or Weißwaag; Hungarian: Vázsec or Vágfalva) is a village and municipality in Liptovský Mikuláš District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia, at the foot of Kriváň in the High Tatras mountains, Slovakia's symbolic and often considered most beautiful mountain.

Važec
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Etymology: derived from the Váh River
Važec Location of Važec in the Žilina Region Show map of Žilina Region Važec Location of Važec in Slovakia Show map of Slovakia
Coordinates: 49.07°N 19.98°E / 49.07; 19.98
Country	Slovakia
Region	Žilina Region
District	Liptovský Mikuláš District
First mentioned	1280
Area [1]
• Total	59.64 km2 (23.03 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	788 m (2,585 ft)
Population  (2024)[3]
• Total	2,372
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	326 1[2]
Area code	+421 44[2]
Vehicle registration plate (until 2022)	LM
Website	www.obecvazec.sk

History

In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1280. Jaroslav Augusta painted a number of watercolors of this village. Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Važec was part of Liptó County within the Kingdom of Hungary. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the Slovak Republic. On 29 January 1945, the Red Army and the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps entered Važec and it was once again part of Czechoslovakia.

Fire of 1931

464 of the village's 582 homes were destroyed by fire July 17–18, 1931. The fire killed 6 persons and injured 18 others, resulted in the loss of hundreds of heads of stock, and produced damages estimated at $1 million in 1931 dollars. The fire originated from three different points, raising suspicion of incendiarism.^[4]

• 
  German Military Cemetery in Važec
• 
  German Military Cemetery in Važec

Geography

The municipality lies at an altitude of 788 metres (2,585 ft)^[2] and covers an area of 59.64 km² (23.03 sq mi) (2024).^[5]

Population

Population statistic (10 years)^[6]

Year	1994	2004	2014	2024
Count	2399	2381	2361	2372
Difference		−0.75%	−0.83%	+0.46%

Population statistic^[6]

Year	2023	2024
Count	2361	2372
Difference		+0.46%

It has a population of 2372 people (31 December 2024).^[7]

Ethnicity

Census 2021 (1+ %)^[8][9]

Ethnicity	Number	Fraction
Slovak	2145	90.05%
Not found out	219	9.19%
Romani	175	7.34%
Total	2382

In year 2021 was 2382 people by ethnicity 2145 as Slovak, 219 as Not found out, 175 as Romani, 16 as Czech, 11 as Other, 4 as Polish, 3 as Rusyn, 3 as Hungarian, 2 as Russian, 2 as German, 1 as Ukrainian and 1 as Romanian.

Note on population

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+ %)^[10]

Religion	Number	Fraction
Evangelical Church	1036	43.49%
Roman Catholic Church	828	34.76%
None	224	9.4%
Not found out	220	9.24%
Total	2382

In year 2021 was 2382 people by religion 1036 from Evangelical Church, 828 from Roman Catholic Church, 224 from None, 220 from Not found out, 17 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 15 from Greek Catholic Church, 12 from Jehovah's Witnesses, 6 from Ad hoc movements, 5 from Baptists Church, 3 from Eastern Orthodox Church, 3 from Paganism and natural spirituality, 3 from Other, 2 from Old Catholic Church, 2 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 2 from United Methodist Church, 2 from Buddhism, 1 from Islam and 1 from Seventh-day Adventist Church.