{"id":6265,"date":"2026-09-10T09:05:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T08:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/?p=6265"},"modified":"2026-09-10T09:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T08:07:15","slug":"po-stopach-vojen-na-severovychode-sarisa-udolie-smrti-a-ine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/po-stopach-vojen-na-severovychode-sarisa-udolie-smrti-a-ine\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Footsteps of the Wars: Death Valley and the Carpathian\u2013Dukla Operation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The north-east of \u0160ari\u0161 appears peaceful today \u2013 green valleys, small villages, wooden churches and roads winding beneath the Dukla Pass. But if you look a little more closely, you will realise that the landscape is literally criss-crossed with traces of war. Military cemeteries, memorials, tanks, trenches and the stories of fallen soldiers serve as a reminder that some of the fiercest battles of both world wars on the territory of present-day Slovakia took place right here. So come along with us <strong>In the footsteps of the wars in the north-east of \u0160ari\u0161<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"934\" src=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mapa-itinerar-4-clanok-oocrrs-2-1024x934.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mapa-itinerar-4-clanok-oocrrs-2-1024x934.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mapa-itinerar-4-clanok-oocrrs-2-300x274.png 300w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mapa-itinerar-4-clanok-oocrrs-2-768x701.png 768w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mapa-itinerar-4-clanok-oocrrs-2-13x12.png 13w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mapa-itinerar-4-clanok-oocrrs-2.png 1075w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The route takes us from the inconspicuous military graves in Krajn\u00e9 \u010cierne, through Ladom\u00edrov\u00e1, to the Valley of Death, where the bloody battles of the Carpathian-Dukla Operation took place in 1944. Be inspired by this journey through military history and follow in the footsteps of the filming of our new videos, which form part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/ako-sme-obliekli-region-saris-do-novych-siat\/\">rebranding to mark the 10th anniversary of the OOCR \u0160ari\u0161 Region<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\ud83d\udcc8 Meeting at the company\" width=\"422\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u1tYPs_TrRs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Krajn\u00e9 \u010cierno and its history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s start at the very edge and begin in the village of Krajn\u00e9 \u010cierno. This small village in the district of Svidn\u00edk harbours fragments of its wartime history right there in the local cemetery. It is situated right next to a wooden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/nabozensky-turizmus\/dreveny-chram-sv-bazila-velkeho-krajne-cierno\/\" data-type=\"nabozensky-turizmus\" data-id=\"2565\">The Church of St Basil the Great<\/a>, which in 2000 was included by the World Monuments Fund on its list of the world\u2019s 100 most endangered monuments. During the Second World War, in the battles for the Dukla Pass, both the village and the church were severely damaged. In the cemetery next to the church, there are four graves of soldiers who fell in the First World War, in which a total of five men are buried. Their bodies were found on private land in the village, exhumed and transferred to the local cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"859\" src=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/krajne-cierno-kostol-clanok-oocrrs-2-1024x859.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/krajne-cierno-kostol-clanok-oocrrs-2-1024x859.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/krajne-cierno-kostol-clanok-oocrrs-2-300x252.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/krajne-cierno-kostol-clanok-oocrrs-2-768x645.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/krajne-cierno-kostol-clanok-oocrrs-2-14x12.jpg 14w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/krajne-cierno-kostol-clanok-oocrrs-2.jpg 1369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ladom\u00edrov\u00e1 \u2013 war memorials and a UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Krajn\u00e9 \u010cierna, we move on to the neighbouring village of Ladom\u00edrov\u00e1, which is also linked to the First World War. Evidence of this is the Military Cemetery for Unknown Soldiers from the First World War, where 270 soldiers are buried. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The village also has a wooden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/nabozensky-turizmus\/dreveny-chram-sv-michala-archanjela-unesco-ladomirova\/\" data-type=\"nabozensky-turizmus\" data-id=\"2557\">The Church of St Michael the Archangel<\/a>, which has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. The church\u2019s architecture combines elements of the Lemko, Russian-Byzantine and Eastern Carpathian traditions, giving it a distinctive architectural character.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ladomirova-dreveny-chram-1-oocrrs-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6070\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The complex also includes a wooden bell tower of a columnar design, which stands on the south side of the church. Its history is also linked to an important monastery with a printing press, which was founded here after the 1917 revolution by Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox monks. The monastery became a spiritual and cultural centre, but was destroyed after the Second World War. The church itself was not spared from damage, but the damage was repaired and, despite these events, a substantial part of the church\u2019s historic appearance has been preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Valley of Death near Svidn\u00edk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll head towards the town <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/lokalita\/svidnik-a-okolie\/\" data-type=\"lokalita\" data-id=\"115\">Svidn\u00edk<\/a>, but we won\u2019t be going into the town itself. At the crossroads, we\u2019ll turn off towards the village of Kapi\u0161ov\u00e1, as our destination is the Dukla Battlefield Nature Reserve, known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/historia\/udolie-smrti\/\" data-type=\"historia\" data-id=\"2084\">Death Valley<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Valley of Death is a historic area in the district of Svidn\u00edk, where the bloody battles of the Carpathian-Dukla Offensive took place in October 1944 during the Second World War. It is situated in the valley of the Kapi\u0161ovka stream and stretches between the villages of Dlho\u0148a, Dobroslava, Havranec, Kapi\u0161ov\u00e1, Kru\u017elov\u00e1, Ni\u017en\u00e1 Pisan\u00e1, Svidni\u010dka, V\u00e1pen\u00edk and Vy\u0161n\u00e1 Pisan\u00e1. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-srmti-mapa-2-oocrrs-819x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-srmti-mapa-2-oocrrs-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-srmti-mapa-2-oocrrs-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-srmti-mapa-2-oocrrs-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-srmti-mapa-2-oocrrs-10x12.png 10w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-srmti-mapa-2-oocrrs.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between 21 and 27 October 1944, heavy fighting took place here between Soviet troops and a German division as part of the Carpathian-Dukla Offensive, aimed at liberating Czechoslovakia from Nazi forces. The fighting was characterised by heavy casualties on both sides, inclement autumn weather and difficult, waterlogged terrain, which slowed the advance of tanks and infantry. In total, up to 11,000 soldiers were killed, of whom approximately 5,000 were Soviet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The TARAN Memorial<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the junction, we shall stop at the Central Memorial to Tank Crews, known as the TARAN Memorial. The memorial is dedicated to the tank crews who took part in the fighting during the Carpathian-Dukla Operation. More than 120,000 Allied soldiers were deployed in the operation, facing around 100,000 Germans in well-fortified mountain passes.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-clanok-1-oocrrs-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-clanok-1-oocrrs-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-clanok-1-oocrrs-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-clanok-1-oocrrs-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-clanok-1-oocrrs-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-clanok-1-oocrrs.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In the wake of the tanks and fierce fighting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We will continue our journey through Kapi\u0161ov\u00e1, where there is a memorial to the Soviet officer Pavel Andreyevich Tolstel, who fell during the fighting in 1944. The memorial was restored in 2021 and two T-34-85 tanks stand nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Kapi\u0161ov\u00e1, we\u2019ll head to the Valley of Death near Ni\u017en\u00e1 Pisana. Here, there is a unique installation of eight T-34 tanks, commemorating the battles of the Carpathian-Dukla Offensive. The site also features memorials, trenches, information boards and a 13.5-metre-high observation tower shaped like a vz. 24 rifle cartridge, built in 2021. From the top, there is a view over the entire valley and the surroundings of the Dukla Pass. The site is accessible on foot, by bike or by car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To continue exploring military history, you can head to Vy\u0161n\u00e1 and Ni\u017en\u00e1 Pisana, where there are more T-34 tanks, or via Svidni\u010dka to V\u00e1pen\u00edk, where you\u2019ll find further military artefacts.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-kruzlova-oocrrs-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-kruzlova-oocrrs-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-kruzlova-oocrrs-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-kruzlova-oocrrs-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-kruzlova-oocrrs-2-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/udolie-smrti-kruzlova-oocrrs-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, the landscape of Death Valley appears peaceful, but it was here that fierce fighting took place in 1944.&nbsp;<strong>Memorials, military cemeteries, trenches and tanks serve as a reminder not only of the course of the war, but above all of the people who paid the ultimate price for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We are not setting out to follow in the footsteps of the wars in the north-east of \u0160ari\u0161 in order to admire war, but to understand it better. And perhaps, as we look out over today\u2019s peaceful countryside, we will become a little more aware of the value of peace, which we now take for granted.<\/strong><br><br>Source: OOCR R\u0160<br>Source of photographs: OOCR R\u0160<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The north-east of \u0160ari\u0161 has a peaceful atmosphere today \u2013 green valleys, small villages, wooden churches and winding roads...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novinky"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6265"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6281,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6265\/revisions\/6281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regionsaris.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}