Like many mountain areas in Slovakia, Kysuce region has been shaped by humans over the course of time. Vlach, Goral and Kopanice settlers left the greatest mark on the region, causing a significant shift in the balance between its forested and unforested parts. The region is characterised by a mosaic of woods, pastures, little fields, and scattered wooden homesteads. Human agricultural activities enabled the secondary emergence of botanically interesting plant communities. The originally forested Kysuce region thus became more biodiverse and now features fauna and flora typical of peatland, marshland pastures and meadows. The cool local climate and oceanic climatic effects have resulted in the presence of several rare subatlantic plants, at the easternmost fringe of their occurrence. Kysuce Protected Landscape Area also has marginal populations of large predators and certain rare and protected animals. Bubbling streams, fragrant woods and plants, meadow hues, charming wooden homes, and howling wolves: Kysuce has them all.

Obverse:

The obverse design features a common otter in the upper part and a northern crested newt and roundleaved sundews in the lower right and left partsrespectively. To the right of the otter is the Slovak coat of arms, positioned below the coin’s denomination ‘20’ and currency ‘EURO’, one above the other. The name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’ and year of issuance ‘2022’ are inscribed along the lower right edge. To the left of the sundews are the stylised initials ‘KL’, referring to the coin’s designer Karol Ličko, and to their right are the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies.

Reverse:

The reverse depicts two shingle-roofed wooden cottages typical of the Kysuce region, in this case from a settlement called Brízgalky. One of them is viewed from the front, and the other, on which a sledge is leaning, from the side. Behind the cottages are rolling hills, a feature of the Kysuce landscape, and in the distance are the distinctive peaks of Stoh and Veľký Rozsutec. In the lower left of the design is the inscription ‘CHRÁNENÁ KRAJINNÁ OBLASŤ’ (Protected Landscape Area) on three lines, and in the upper part is the inscription ‘KYSUCE’.  

Coin details