Stories of mysterious disappearances in the Trybecz mountains inspired Jozef Karika to write the novel "The Rift." The book tells the story of a group of people who decide to solve the mystery of the disappearances. Karika skillfully balances between fiction and reality, using local legends and unconfirmed accounts, which gives his book a dark and unsettling tone.
Based on Karika’s book, a film titled "The Rift" (Slovak "Trhlina") was made, also focusing on the theme of unexplained disappearances in the Trybecz mountains. The film follows the story of Igor, an unemployed graduate, who, along with a group of friends, uncovers the dark secrets of the region. The production intrigued viewers who appreciated the tense and mysterious atmosphere, although critics' reviews were mixed.
A Forest That Swallows People: "I Heard There Is Some Geomagnetic Field in Trybecz"
"There are various theories about it. Many believe there are caves or crevices where people fall and get lost, never to be found. I also heard that there might be some geomagnetic field in Trybecz, which could cause disorientation in particularly sensitive individuals," said Martin Jančovič in an interview with NaTemat.pl.
Trybecz is terrifying in many ways, but this same fear also sparks enormous interest. Jančovič, who works for the nature conservation park and holds a Ph.D. in ecological and environmental sciences at the University of Nitra, mentioned that the nearby forests are often filled with so-called Sunday tourists, who frequently get lost in the area. This has led to numerous stories, most of which end badly or worse. The oldest mystery associated with this place is almost 100 years old! According to slowacystyka.pl, the first disappearance occurred in 1929 when Štefan Samšal, a local forester, went into the forest and never returned. Despite intensive searches, his body was never found. This event shocked the local community and initiated a series of similar, unexplained cases.
Unexplained Disappearances in Trybecz
Nearly a year later, 18-year-old Mária Šlajserová disappeared. She was traveling from Mankovce to Zlatno when she entered the forest and was never seen again. Locals and services searched for her but to no avail. Another mysterious disappearance occurred in 1934 when quarry worker Ján Murgaš vanished near Žirany. According to his colleague, he fell into a black abyss, but his body was never found. Trybecz made headlines again in 1939 when Walter Fischer disappeared in the mountains. He was found a month later, unconscious and with numerous wounds and burns on his body. Fischer never regained full mental health and spent the rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital.
In the 1950s, the body of an unidentified man in an advanced state of decomposition was found in the forest in Oponice. It was assumed he was an agent working against the republic, but his identity was never confirmed. It is said that in subsequent years, a couple, the Belanovyčs, also disappeared. Their car was found on a road near Trybecz, but their fate remains unknown. In 1980, 76-year-old retiree Antonín Topil vanished, and in 2000, an open BMW with the radio playing and a large sum of money inside was found. The car belonged to Ján Šala, who was never found - writes Onet. The latest mysterious incident occurred in 2017 when a 25-year-old man went missing. He was found 30 hours later, disoriented and unable to explain what had happened. He died shortly afterward in the hospital.
Local Chronicles and the Missing Forester
Residents of nearby villages often share stories about strange events in the Trybecz mountains. They talk about trails that suddenly disappear, people losing their way, or finding themselves in unexpected places. Police in Nitra reported seven disappearances in Trybecz from 1999 to 2019. None of the missing people were found.
I don't know what to think of all these stories, but people say a woman from Jeleneč also disappeared. They haven't found her to this day – I don't know what to think. There is also a movie about that disappearance, I haven't seen it, but apparently, it said more people disappeared. It was supposedly about some people from Kostolany, a village over the mountain, but how it really was, you know... Maybe there's something to it
- said Čabo Villam, who has lived in the region for years.
The mysterious disappearances in the "Slovakian Bermuda Triangle" remain one of Slovakia's greatest modern mysteries. These stories, full of drama and unexplained events, fascinate and terrify people worldwide.
In Velké Uherce, a town at the foothills of the Trybecz mountains, no one remembers the missing forester anymore. Even Marian Mališka, one of the oldest residents born two years after his disappearance, knows nothing about it. The municipal chronicle also lacks any mention of the incident, suggesting that the matter was either forgotten, never well-documented, or fabricated. Jozef Bartolen from the local municipal office believes that information about the disappearance is more speculation than fact – as reported by Slovak sources. An article published in 2006 mentions that around 10,000 people, mainly German settlers, lived in the Trybecz mountains, many of whom mysteriously disappeared. These cases are also not mentioned in local chronicles. Occasionally, however, stories surface about people wandering through the mountains, searching for traces of the missing and trying to solve the mysteries of the past.
