UNESCO World Heritage - Vlkolínec

200 Sk Commemorative Silver Coin

In 1972, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in line with its aim to safeguard the cultural assets of the mankind. According to the Convention, the world’s most important sites and monuments, which fit the prescribed criteria, are inscribed on the World Heritage List. At present, the List includes five Slovak sites, including Vlkolínec, Folk Architecture Reserve.

The village of Vlkolinec is situated in northern Slovakia, on the eastern slopes of the Velka Fatra Mountains, and is a part of the town of Ruzomberok. It consists of a collection of unusually well preserved hand-hewn timber houses typical of the mountainous and hilly surroundings. The settlement is quite unique and numbers 45 authentic homesteads with many archaic constructional elements. Two special buildings stand-out among the houses: the timber bell-tower from 1770, and the well from 1860.

Description of the coin

Obverse:
The motif dominating the obverse of the coin is a typical hewn-timber dwelling house with shingle roof, complemented in the lower part by a log cross-section with annual tree-rings, symbolizing the basic timber material used in the buildings. The State coat of arms, the year of issue 2002, and the name of the state SLOVENSKA REPUBLIKA appear on the coin.

Reverse:
The reverse of the coin shows the hand-hewn timber bell-tower, a distinctive Vlkolinec building. The background in the upper part shows a log cross-section with annual ring pattern and the inscription SVETOVE DEDICSTVO UNESCO (UNESCO World Heritage). To the right of the bell tower is the incription VLKOLINEC, and below this, the denomination of the coin 200 Sk, and to the left are the stylized initials of the designer of the coin Pavel Karoly, and the Kremnica mint mark.