A few generations of the crystalline basement nappes have been distinguished in the Central Western Carpathians. The closure of a proto-Variscan (500–415 Ma) ocean caused, the formation of the subduction (415–380 Ma) and collision (380–280 Ma) related highly metamorphosed nappes of the Lower Variscan structural level. The subduction and collision processes of the basement led to an extension (415–380 Ma) and formation of the new volcano-sedimentary complexes, which were metamorphosed incorporated (380–280 Ma) into the nappes of the upper Variscan structural level. The southern zones of the Western Carpathians underwent the Early Alpidic extension or transtension (280–190 Ma) and the Late Cimmerian (190–90 Ma) subduction(190–130 Ma), nappe thrusting (130–110 Ma) and collisional transpression (110–90 Ma). The Jurassic–Crecateous extension (190–110 Ma) of the northern zones was followed by the Penninic-Vahic oceanic crust subduction (110–90 Ma), the Paleo-Alpidic nappe formation (90–70 Ma) and transpressional sinistral strike slips (70–20 Ma). The Meso-Alpidic basement nappes (70–20 Ma) are evident in the peri-Vahic (peri Klippen Belt-, Infratatric-) zone.