Map: II

Veličná, its houses, and its two church towers on the opposite bank of the Orava with the far-off Vel'ký Choč (1611 m) to the south-east. - First mentioned in a 1272 deed of gift, issued by King Ladislas IV of Hungary, Veličná / Nagyfalu is one of the most ancient settlements in Árva County. Until 1683 it had been the county's administrative centre and the site of regional noble assemblies. In that year it was sacked and burnt down by Lithuanian troops of the Polish king, Jan Sobieski, on their way back from Vienna. The county archive kept in the church was also destroyed. There was a beautiful mansion in Veličná that belonged to the Orava estate. The charming Lutheran church is also worth mentioning. Veličná had about 1500 Slovak inhabitants in the 1850s. - Bibliography: Fényes Elek, Ružomberok. - For information on Orava river, see: