Blatnica
Municipality
Blatnica on the foot of the Greater Fatra Range
Flag
Blatnica Location of Blatnica in the Žilina Region Show map of Žilina Region Blatnica Location of Blatnica in Slovakia Show map of Slovakia
Coordinates: 48°56′13″N 18°55′36″E / 48.93694°N 18.92667°E / 48.93694; 18.92667
Country	Slovakia
Region	Žilina Region
District	Martin District
First mentioned	1120
Area [1]
• Total	86.18 km2 (33.27 sq mi)
Elevation [3]	495 m (1,624 ft)
Population  (2024)[2]
• Total	1,074
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	381 5[3]
Area code	+421 43[3]
Vehicle registration plate (until 2022)	MT
Website	www.blatnica.sk

Blatnica (1927–1946 Turčianska Blatnica, Hungarian: Blatnica) is a village and municipality in the Turiec region of Slovakia. Administratively it is a part of the Martin District in the Žilina Region. The village is situated under the Greater Fatra Range, at the opening of the spectacular karst Gader and Blatnica valleys. The ruins of the Blatnica Castle lie on a low ridge over the village.

The name means "a muddy place" (Slovak: blato - mud).^[4]

The municipality lies at an altitude of 495 metres (1,624 ft)^[3] and covers an area of 86.18 km² (33.27 sq mi) (2024).^[5]

Blatnica is an important archaeological site, where Slavic tumuli with many precious artifacts (such as the famous Blatnica Sword) from the 8th and 9th centuries have been found. The site gave name to the so-called "Blatnica-Mikulčice" archaeological horizon. The first written mention stems from 1230, however, the castle was built at the end of the 13th century. Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, it was part of Turóc County within the Kingdom of Hungary. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the Slovak Republic.

The first Slovak female botanist Izabela Textorisová lived in Blatnica and her rich herbarium contains plants of the nearby Tlstá mountain. Both Textorisová's house and a museum dedicated to the ethnographer, filmmaker, and photographer Karol Plicka are open to the public. Other places of interest include two manor houses from the 18th century, a classicist Lutheran church and many well-preserved rural houses.

It has a population of 1074 people (31 December 2024).^[7]

In year 2021 was 1021 people by ethnicity 992 as Slovak, 15 as Not found out, 8 as Czech, 6 as Other, 3 as Hungarian, 2 as Rusyn, 2 as Romanian, 2 as German, 1 as Ukrainian and 1 as English.

Note on population: The difference between the population numbers above and in the census (here and below) is that the population numbers above are mostly made up of permanent residents, etc.; and the census should indicate the place where people actually mainly live.
For example, a student is a citizen of a village because they have permanent residence there (they lived there as a child and has parents), but most of the time he studies at a university in the city.

In year 2021 was 1021 people by religion 404 from Evangelical Church, 313 from None, 264 from Roman Catholic Church, 28 from Not found out, 3 from Greek Catholic Church, 2 from Ad hoc movements, 1 from Jewish community, 1 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 1 from Islam, 1 from Other, 1 from Hinduism, 1 from United Methodist Church and 1 from Buddhism.

According to the 2001 census, 99% of inhabitants were Slovaks.^[11] Blatnica is one of few villages with a Lutheran absolute majority (58.6%) in the predominantly Roman Catholic Slovakia.

• List of municipalities and towns in Slovakia

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bytca, Slovakia"

• Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1777-1949 (parish B)
• Lutheran church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1785-1929 (parish A)

• Basic information about Blatnica and its history
• Surnames of living people in Blatnica