After having visited the wooden church of Hervartov back in 2014, this time round I managed to visit another four Slovak wooden churches, thanks to a very informative UNESCO map at the only restaurant in Vlkolinec. Since they weren't much of a detour between Spis, Vlkolinec and Banska Stiavnica and I had enough time to spare, I set off to visit the wooden churches of Kezmarok, Lestiny, Tvrdosin and Hronsek.

Since Hubert already covered the wooden church of Kezmarok pretty well, my only suggestion is to time your visit with the rather limited opening hours as the highlight of this church is definitely its interior; from the outside, it really is the odd one out of the eight wooden churches and not worth the visit simply for a view from the outside. I also found most of the Slovak churches' interior harder to access than its counterparts in Poland even though I visited during the "peak tourist season" when in theory it should have been easier than visiting in winter. Next, I drove to Lestiny where the wooden church is neatly hidden on a hill full of trees making it hard to take photos. Overall, it is quite similar to the wooden church in Hervartov, almost like a small fortified church enclosed by a wall.

Next, I drove to the Roman Catholic Church of All Saints in Tvrdosin and managed to get inside the church (open July-August from 10am till 4pm; strictly no photos allowed inside). Here a very kind old lady offered me water as a very appreciated welcoming gesture (quite a rarity in Slovakia) and opened the church with a large key and pointed towards the best wall paintings, so I obeyed the rules and did not take any photos inside except for the facsimile UNESCO WHS inscription certificate. Behind the wooden church there is a very very large cemetery. Even if you visit when the church happens to be closed, do take a closer look from the arcade next to the church door (mind your head from the very low roof!), to fully appreciate how the high gable roof is supported by small stone pillars.

Finally, I visited the wooden church and belfry of Hronsek (marked on the brown road signs as Kostol Church) on the way to Banska Stiavnica, in my opinion the most beautiful ensemble for its exterior architecture. It resembles the Churches of Peace in Poland although it can cater only for 1,100 worshippers inside in an amphitheatre-style arrangement. It is the only wooden church in Slovakia which exhibits Scandinavian architectural influences, for instance in the beam connections and the arrangement of the columns. Inside there is a UNESCO WHS inscription certificate facsimile. Overall, I enjoyed my visit and slightly improved my rating initially based solely on Hervartov.