Lonely Planet Publications

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C E N T R A L S L O VA K I A B a n s k B y s t r i c a 371

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CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Central Slovakia

esk Tn

Cieszyn

POLAND

E77

E75

Orava
Lake

adca

Chyzne

Trsten

Kysuca

To Preov (44km)

Poprad

E50

EAST
SLOVAKIA

Turiec

al

t ras
Tvrdon
rn Ta
Orava
s t e Zeroka
Oravsk Podbiel
We
Podzmok
Zuberec
E442
Zzriv
Doln
Orava
Terchov
h
Mal Kubn
Castle
V
Tatra
Fatra
Byta
Vrtna
NP
NP
ilina
Liptovsk Liptovsk
Valley
Kraovany
Mara
Povask
Sov Streno
Pribylina
Mikul
a Vrtky
Bystrica
Beeov
r
Vaec
t
Rajeck
Ruomberok
Fa
Teplice
Vaec Cave
a Vlkolnec
Lipt
Podstrne Martin
r
Vchodn
t
Hrdok
Rajeck
Demnova
Bel
a
E75
Lesn
Necpaly
F
Valley
Jasn

Low
k
Blatnica
E77 Tatras
e
imany
T a t r a s Telgrt
NP
V Donovaly
Ve k
Fatra Krna Peak
o w Brezno
Hron
L
NP
(1574m)
Murnska
Bojnice
S l
Planina
Castle
o v
NP
e

Trenn

To Bratislava
(105km)

To Koice (60km)

e
o r i
Ru d o h

n s k

Bansk
Bystrica

Prievidza

Roava

Hronsek

Partiznske

Hronsk
Dubrava

iar nad
Hronom

Topoany

vr

Zvolen

Detva

y
ch

Rimavsk
Sobota

Bansk
tiavnica

vn

ic

WEST
SLOVAKIA

Nitra

E571

Luenec

Povadlo
jazero

Bnrve

588

iatorsk
Bukovinka

E77
To Bratislava
(65km)

E571

Kr

ia

A rich vein of history runs through Central Slovakia. In the 19th century, literary organisations in Martin helped to create a standardised language and national awareness. Below the
mountains, mining brought wealth to the region and Bansk tiavnica contains wonderful
examples of centuries-old architecture. Folk villages, such as imany and Vlkolnec, represent another kind of treasure. And of the multitude of castles scattered along the length
and breadth of Slovakia, the two most complete and ornate are here: Orava, impossibly
perched on a high, rocky outcrop; and Bojnice, more like a fairy-tale than Walt Disney could
ever have imagined.

Ronov pod
Radhotm

25

Vek
Krt

Levice

ro

Somoskojfalu
Slovensk
armoty
Balassagyarmat

HUNGARY

Getting There & Away

HIGHLIGHTS
Get your camera ready to capture the photo-

genic plastered log houses in the village of

Vlkolnec (p390)
Take a cable car ride to the top of lovely

Vrtna valley (p382)

Vrtna
Valley
Vlkolnec

Dig into historical mining at museums in the

town of Bansk tiavnica (p374)

Follow the crowd to the ghost festival at

Bojnice castle (p379)

Ski the much-loved slopes of Jasna, in the

Demnova valley (p391)

Demnova
Valley

Bojnice
Castle
Bansk tiavnica

Slovakias main train line, connecting Bratislava and Koice, cuts across the top third of
Central Slovakia, allowing fast connections
to ilina and Martin. Because of the steep
valleys and limited train runs, its best to take
the bus if youre going straight to the regions
more central towns and cities. Though the
train journey from Koice to Bansk Bystrica,
along the southern border of the Low Tatras,
is quite rewarding.

Getting Around
Much of Central Slovakia is hilly and often
mountainous. Therefore, the bus or car
may be your only option for transport to
the regions more inviting areas, especially

for northsouth travel. Roads are generally

good, and a lot of fun, what with all the steep
gradients and windy sections.

BANSK BYSTRICA
%048 / pop 81,704

In the valley where the Low Tatras, Vek Fatra

and Slovensk rudohorie mountains meet sits
Bansk Bystrica. Slovaks know it best as the
cradle of the Slovak National Uprising (Slovensk nrodn povstanie; SNP) against the
Nazis and their Slovak puppet state. The SNP
Museum here is probably the best museum
in the country.
Bansk Bystricas small but handsome old
town centre includes the remnants of a 15thcentury citadel.

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Here among the forested hills and stony mountains lies the consciousness of a natureoriented nation. And no wonder, the landscapes of Central Slovakia are as accessible as
they are stunning. Stand on the high plain beyond Liptovsk Mikul and on a clear day
you can see no fewer than five mountain ranges: the Western Tatras, the smaller but no
less impressive Low Tatras, the very accessible Mal and Vek Fatras, and in the distance,
the mighty High Tatras. The ranges are blanketed with trees at more than 50% coverage,
Central Slovakia is the most heavily wooded part of either republic and carved with deep
valleys, the most magical of which are the Vrtna valley in the Mal Fatra and the Demnova
valley in the Low Tatras.

CZECH
REPUBLIC

30 km
20 miles

ENTERTAINMENT
Puppet Theatre................................ 22 C2
State Opera......................................23 B4

22

ke

ns

Slo

o-

sk

pi

lsk

vo

iko

era

fn

ikk

aC

25

ie
re

tu

16

Jn

To Train Station (50m);

Brezno (43km)

66

Ka

17

19

rod

Red Army
Memorial

24
21

18

Nm
Slobody

a SN

tried

13

a SN

tried

ve

n
Hor
14

10

arm

ll

ro

Prior
Department
Store

20

te

Do

ln

23

nyh

ola

Kar

uzm

Hro

ie

re

tad lerovo
To Ruomberok (53km);
Martin (63km)

nb

Kria, this pension is lighter on the outside

but still has the gorgeous, rustic dark wood
panelling in the rooms.
Urpn City (%472 3511; www.urpincity.sk; Cikkerova
5; s/d 1950/2950Sk; p) This is the ultimate in
urpn (urban) minimalism. The wi-fi enabled
lounge, restaurant, bar and bedrooms all
have a sleek, Zenlike appeal, with low-lying
beds and wheat grass as decoration. Apartments are available on a nightly or long-term
basis.

Eating & Drinking

Nm SNP has several attractive outdoor cafs
to choose from, for Slovak specialities, head

ja

Penzin Grand (%415 5173; www.penziongrand.sk;

Horn 32; s/d 800/1200Sk; p) Younger cousin to

To Zvolen (22km);
Bansk tiavnica (45km)

Bansk
Bystrica Mesto
Train Station

to the folk knick-knackfilled restaurant at

Penzin Kria.
Asia Food Service (%415 3358; Nrodn 9; mains
55-110Sk; h11am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 4-10pm Sat) Chinese staples are served from the counter
front. There are a few steely bar tables and
counters to chow down at in this tiny modern
eatery.
La Crperie (Passage Arkade; mains 60-100Sk; h9am10pm) Think of some doughy delight you can
stuff crepes, dumplings, potato pancakes
and you can get it here, both sweet and savoury. The caf also has internet access.
Pizzeria Evuo (%415 2752; Nm SNP 8; pizzas 100150Sk) Just the aroma from this pizzeria is fattening, and the pizza tastes even better than it
smells. The entrance is on Nrodn.

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

ska

izn

Part

Horn

Kr

Nm
SNP

h
k

ec

ut

Sk

Ko

va

hor

11

TRANSPORT
Bus Station.......................................25 D3

va

sso

12
Old
Citadel

Nm
tefana
Moyzesa

SHOPPING
uv.................................................24 A3

EATING
Asia Food Service.............................17 B3
La Crperie.......................................18 B3
Pizzeria Evuo....................................19 B3

Cemetery

na

ovn

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

B3
B3
B3
B3
B2

ko

most technologically advanced museum in

the country. Flat-screened TVs and interactive displays bring to life not only the Slovak
National Uprising, but Slovakias involvement
in the two world wars. This is a must-see for

SLEEPING
Penzin Grand..................................14 B3
Penzin Kria...................................15 B2
Urpn City.........................................16 B3

Ba

.muzeumsnp.sk; Kapitulsk 23; adult/child 50/20Sk; h9am6pm Tue-Sun May-Sep, 9am-4pm Tue-Sun Oct-Apr) is the

D
DRINKING
Central Caf.....................................20 C2
Smadn Mnch.................................21 A3

15

Kr

City
Park

trieb

A Soviet-memorial oddity on the outside,

on the inside SNP Museum (%412 3259; www

The Culture & Information Centre has a list

of student dormitories (about 300Sk) open to
travellers in summer.
ATC Tajov (%419 7320; Tajov; person/tent 90/50Sk;
hyear-round) The nearest camp site, 7km west
of town, has a lovely rural setting among pine
trees. There are 20 tent sites and 16 bungalows
(per person 200Sk).
Penzin Kria (%412 3255; www.kuria.sk; Bakossova
4; s/d 800/1200Sk; p) The atmospheric, old-world
feel means this pension is often booked by
groups.

To ATC Tajov
(7km)

Laz

Sights

Sleeping

500 m
0.3 miles

Matthias House................................12 B2
SNP Museum...................................13 C3
Thurzo House..................................(see 8)

n S

www.kisbb.sk in Slovak; Nm SNP 14; h8am-6pm MonFri, 9am-1pm Sat mid-Maymid-Sep, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri
mid-Sepmid-May) Sells entertainment tickets, brokers
private rooms, arranges walking tours.
Game Over (%415 1511; Nm SNP 15; per hr 50Sk;
h9.30am-10pm Mon-Fri, 2-10pm Sat & Sun) Twentyplus computers with internet access.
Police station (9 Mja)
Post office (%415 4780; Horn 1)
Veobecn verov banka (VB; Nm Slobody 1)

A3
B3
A3
C4
B3
C3

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Benick House....................................7
Central Slovakia Museum...................8
Church of Our Lady............................9
Clock Tower.....................................10
Holy Cross Church............................11

Hor

Culture & Information Centre (KIS; %415 5085;

tu

selection.

of the square.
At the end of the 15th century the Gothic
and Renaissance churches and houses northeast of Nm SNP were surrounded with heavy
stone walls that made up the old citadel. Part
of what remains is Bansk Bystricas oldest
building, the 13th-century Romanesque (later
Gothicised) parish church of Our Lady (Kostol
Panny Mrie Nanebevzatej). Inside, a side
chapel (1500) dedicated to St Barbara, patron
saint of miners, contains a fantastic Gothic
altar carved by the master craftsman, Pavol
of Levoa. (Some say in repayment of some of
his sons debts.) The church is only open during services (generally at noon and 4.30pm).
Joined by fortifications behind the church is
the Gothic Holy Cross church (Kostol sv Kra),
the small Matthias house (Matejov dom) built
for the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus,
plus three bastions, a peaceful cemetery and
bits of the original walls.

Artforum (%415 1335; Doln 8) Excellent, artsy book

(Hodinova vea; adult/student 20/10Sk; h10am-8pm midMaymid-Sep) at the east end affords fine views

a Kr

Information

ing some delicate bronze armlets and cloak

pins. Climbing the 16th-century Clock tower

0
0

INFORMATION
Artforum (bookstore)......................... 1
Culture & Information Centre.............2
Game Over........................................ 3
Police Station..................................... 4
Post Office......................................... 5
Veobecn verov banka................. 6

Jank

Bansk Bystricas main square is Nm SNP,

which gently runs down into the towns main
shopping street, Doln. The bus and train
stations are about 1km east of here, across a
large, unnamed park.

student 30/15Sk; h8am-noon & 1-4pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm

Sun), which has ethnographic displays, includ-

BANSK BYSTRICA

Bot

Orientation

any military history buff. The oddly shaped

building is itself a memorial to the soldiers.
North and south of the SNP Museum are
remnants of 16th-century walls erected against
the Turks.
Brightly painted burghers houses line Nm
SNP, which was once the main market square;
look for the chain roofs unique to the town.
At No 16, Benick house (Beniczkho dom)
is graced with frescoes and a Venetian-style
loggia. Thurzo house (Thurzov dom), at No
4, once owned by the citys premier mining
family, is now home to the Central Slovakia
museum (Stredoslovensk mzeum; %412 5897; adult/

C E N T R A L S L O VA K I A B a n s k B y s t r i c a 373

Jna

First Slavs, then German colonists, settled in

the valley in the 13th century to extract and
refine silver ore, and later copper, from the
areas rich veins (bansk means mining).
The town grew fat until the mines became
exhausted in the 17th century, then almost
faded away completely until a post-WWII
industrial boom.
A traditionally bolshie town and interwar
communist hotbed, it was from here, on 29
August 1944, that resistance radio announced
the start of the Slovak National Uprising and
partisans took to arms. Although the fascists
did give way initially, two months later the
German army marched in and crushed the
revolt. German reprisals for the uprising included the torture and murder of some 900
Slovak men, women and children, along with
some Russian and French partisans, and several members of an Anglo-American military
mission in the Hron valley.

lonelyplanet.com

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History

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

Jan

372 C E N T R A L S L O VA K I A B a n s k B y s t r i c a

va

merh
o

21

va

Kato

sla

To Open-Air Mining
Museum (1km);
Autocamping (5.5km)

13

11

NEW CASTLE & AROUND

Nm sv Trojice (Holy Trinity), the old towns

main square, sports a grand, ornate plague column that commemorates deliverance in 1711
and is flanked by the old palaces of German
and Hungarian merchants and mine owners.
Behind the bold sgraffito at No 12 is the Jozef
Kollr gallery (adult/student 40/20Sk), which exhibits
13th-century Gothic to modern art, with emphasis on local Slovak painter Jozef Kollr. At
No 6 is the Mineral museum (adult/student 40/20Sk),
with more than 400 minerals from around the
world and a historical mine mock-up.
At the bottom of the square, opposite the
pastel-yellow house with mining motifs, the
Gothic parish Church of St Catherine (Kostol sv
Katerny) still has some original murals and
statues among the baroque furnishings. A
little further southwest is the town hall (radnica) with a backwards clock, and across Nm
Radnin a richly decorated 18th-century
Evangelical church (Evanjelick kostol). Miners

At No 7, on the way up on Andreja Sldkoviova to the castle, you pass a tearoom in

the 1681 knocking tower (klopaka) a sort of
town alarm clock used to signal the miners
shifts and special events.
Five years after the Old castle was finished,
the burghers evidently decided they needed
more protection on the hill opposite, thus the
strikingly simple New castle (Nov zmok; Novozmock; adult/student 50/20Sk), a whitewashed block
with four corner towers. It contains a Museum of the History of the Struggle against
the Turks on the Territory of Slovakia and
has fine views over the town.
To the east of the castle is the Church of Our
Lady of the Snows (Kostol Panny Mrie Snenej)
and the 15th-century Piarg gate (Piargska
brna) that was one of six portals in the walls
dividing the inner and outer town.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS

A former mining camp 1.25km south of the

city centre is set up as the Open-air Mining mu-

200 m
0.1 miles

Evangelical Church...................6
Jozef Kollr Gallery...................7
Kammerhof..............................8
Knocking Tower.......................9
Mineral Museum....................10
New Castle.............................11
Old Castle..............................12
Piarg Gate..............................13
Plague Column.......................14
Town Hall.............................. 15

A1
A1
B1
A2
A1
B2
A1
A2
A1
A1

SLEEPING
Hotel Grand-Matej.................16 B1
Penzin Kachelman................17 C2
Penzin Prjemn Oddych......18 A1
EATING
Matej......................................19 B1
Pizzeria Soragna.....................20 B1
U Bhmna..............................21 B2
DRINKING
Jazz Caf............................... 22 C2

seum (Bansk mzeum v prrode; JK Hella 12; adult/student

80/30Sk). Take a trip down the mine, and check
out the machinery, workshops and a wooden
miners church.
Kammerhof (Kammerhofsk 2; adult/student 40/20Sk)
is yet another museum devoted to mining,
this time dealing with its technical history.
The working models of mining machines are
its most intriguing displays.
About 1km northeast of the old town is the
1751 Calvary (Kalvria). Here baroque chapels
with wood carvings illustrate the Stations
of the Cross (14 images of the last stages of
Jesus Christs life before his crucifixion). The
largest red-and-white chapel is visible for
miles around and the site has understandably
great vistas.

Festivals & Events

The annual three-day festival of Salamander
starts on the Friday evening closest to 12
September. The townspeople dress up in miners clothing and medieval garb and perform
songs and dances. Events include a market,
a beer day and arm-wrestling contests. The
origins of the festival can be traced back to
the 19th-century mining academy student
ceremonies. This is one of Slovakias best
local festivals and is worth staying for the
weekend.

Sleeping
The info office keeps a big list of private rooms
and penzin; many line Kammerhofsk and
Andreja Sldkoviova.

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

leave on the hour and the last tour generally

leaves an hour before closing.
NM SV TROJICE & NM RADNIN

To Praovn Irish
Pub (200m);
Bus Stop (1.5km);
Train Station (2km)
2

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Church of Our Lady of the Snows..4 B2
Church of St Catherine................. 5 A1

(Slovensk bansk mzeum; %694 9422; h8am-5pm MonSun May-Aug, to 4pm Tue-Sun Sep-Apr). Museum tours

Unless otherwise stated, all museums and

galleries are part of the Slovak mining museum

22

INFORMATION
City Tourist Information Office..... 1 A1
Post Office................................... 2 C2
VB............................................. 3 A1

houses line the back alleys behind the main

buildings.
Uphill from the town square is Bansk
tiavnicas ancient heart, the Old castle (Star
zmok; adult/student 60/30Sk). Between 1546 and
1559 an older Romanesque church was walled
in, revamped and fortified to protect the municipal riches from the Turks, who never conquered the town. It houses baroque sculpture
and historical town exhibits.

Sights

fsk

17

Resla

rn

Ho

io

Palrikova

Kam

16

8
bo

kov

rie

ustu

ld

St

a A
ug

ea

ja S

slav

oll

dre

19

ja K
m

No

ck

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

J.H

An

Jaro

20

Re

.banskastiavnica.sk; Nm sv Trojice 3; h8am-5.30pm

May-Sep, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat Oct-Apr) Also
doubles as a two-terminal internet caf. They can arrange
guided tours in several languages.
Post office (Kammerhofsk 30) Located down the hill
towards the train station.
VB (Nm Radnin 15) Has an ATM.

Ruo

Andre

6
Nm
Radnin 3

Information
City Tourist Information Office (%694 9653; www

emic

Doln

Botanic
Garden

Akad

15

mo
oz

Like a fossil preserved in amber, Bansk

tiavnica is a town frozen in time. Walking up and down among the steep hillsides
crowded with town buildings, churches, alleys
and stairways, you cant help but get a sense
of another era (unless youre distracted by
the exertion of climbing through town). Look
across the deep valley from the old castle to
the new and contemplate whether the view
alone wasnt worth the effort.
Bansk tiavnica began as a medieval mining centre, exploiting some of Europes richest
gold and silver veins. Already a showcase
town in the 13th century, in its 18th-century
heyday it became Hungarys second-largest
town. But then the mines began to dry up,
and the town slipped out of the flow of time.
In 1972 Bansk tiavnica was added to the
Unesco World Heritage List. Today, at half

Hor n

Nm
sv Trojice

ln

%045 / pop 10,814

14

Do

BANSK TIAVNICA

Buses run between Bansk Bystrica and Bratislava (250Sk, 3 to 4 hours), mostly via
Nitra (160Sk, two hours), every one to 1
hours. Only two direct trains a day (6.15am
and 3.30pm) make the journey from Bratislava
(292Sk, four hours) and one to Koice (292Sk,
four hours), otherwise theres a change at Zvolen or Vrtky. The trip over hill and dale to
Martin is beautiful by train (104Sk, one hour,
seven daily) or bus (89Sk, 1 hours, hourly);
similarly scenic is the bus route to Liptovsk
Mikul (117Sk, two hours, hourly).

12

u o

To Calvary (1km);
Bansk Bystrica (45km)

Academy
of Mining
& Forestry

10

ock

Getting There & Away

The State Opera (%412 4418; www.stateopera.sk;

Nrodn 11) has regular performances from
September to June, as does the towns Puppet
theatre (Bbkov divadlo; %415 3023; www.bdnr.sk;
Skuteckho 14).
Doln is a shopping street where you can
find books, clothes and an uv (%4841 241; Doln
14) selling traditional handicrafts clothes,
wool rugs, wood, ceramics, embroidery with
an upmarket slant.

The surrounding area is quite wooded and

hilly. From the train station its a 2km climb
uphill through the factories and housing blocks
of the new town to Nm sv Trojice and Nm
Radnin, the adjoining main squares in the old
town. Buses stop 500m closer, at Kriovatka.
The terraced layout of the town can make this a
confusing place to find your way around.

0
0

roz

Entertainment & Shopping

Orientation

18

C E N T R A L S L O VA K I A B a n s k t i a v n i c a 375

BANSK TIAVNICA
Sta

up for a quiet pint, or a loud one on Wednesdays when theres live music.
Central Caf (Horn 37; h7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 9am10pm Sat, 4pm-10pm Sun; n) This hip bar is a good
place to kick back with a cocktail.

its largest size, the town is primarily a tourist

attraction and has numerous museums. The
buildings arent in pristine condition, but the
overall effect is still arresting.

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

Hell

Smadn Mnch (Thirsty Monk; %0905421317; Doln

20; h4pm-midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat) Wander

lonelyplanet.com

JK

374 C E N T R A L S L O VA K I A B a n s k t i a v n i c a

(Budatnsky zmok; %562 0033; Topoov 1; adult/student

50/30Sk; h9am-5.15pm Tue-Sun Jul & Aug, to 4pm Apr-Jun,
Sep & Oct) dates from at least the 13th century,

Information
CK Selinan (%562 0789; www.zilina.sk; Burianova
medzierka 4; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri) Ample information
about ilina and the Mal Fatra, including hiking maps.
Internet Caffe (%0903522226; Bottova 12; per min
1.5Sk; h10am-10pm Mon-Fri, 2-10pm Sat & Sun) Full
bar adjacent.
Left luggage office (per item per day 30Sk;
h6.30am-11pm) At train station.
udov banka (Nrodn 28) ATM and exchange.
Post office (Hviezdoslava)

mb

ors

C2
C2
D1
D1
D1

val

vars

skho

lova

Vek Okrun

Bernolkova

va

9
ilca

16

iko

va

oy

ze

so

va

nyo

ero

na

fn

ov
Rek

Spa

To Rajeck Teplice (15km);

Rajeck Lesn (25km);
imany (39km)

Pivo

val

vov

rn

va

tro

Okrun
o
h
sk
en

oro

te

Municipal
Theatre

ova

Bott

Jes

Suv

To Streno
(13km)

trovo
nm

va

Burian
Tower

Ho

4
5

dn

10

lny

ova

14
Marinsk
nm

Train
Station

o
Nr

Do

Hod

iov

yho

Vek

ma
uru
JV
Open-air
Market

Fars

lav

12

11
Zaymusova

lko

Ha

To St Stephen
Church (1.25km)

7
15

val

Kuzmn

Klemensova

Kaliniakova

ols

dos

Hlinkovo
nm

kov

sova

Or

iez

Hurbanova

zu
R&
SIGHTS
ACTIVITIES
Povake Galllery...................... 6 C2
St Paul's Church.......................7 B2

Cemetery

Hv

13

Horn

Kmeova

Sld

INFORMATION
CK Selinan............................... 1
Internet Caffe.......................... 2
udov Banka...........................3
Left Luggage Office.................4
Post Office...............................5

ho

To Budatn Castle
(1.5km); Vrtna
Valley (23km)

Klov

aov

Holl

500 m
0.3 miles

ja

Fra

Murg

Komen

Hlinkovo nm, displays thought-provoking

contemporary art and has a suitably dark,
smoky caf attached.

1m

A
To Airport
ilina (15km)

2; adult/student 30/10Sk; h9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat

& Sun), on the southern side of the wide open

0
0

ILINA

va

A Slavic tribe in the 6th century was the first

to recognise ilinas advantageous location
at the intersection of several important trade
routes on the Vh river. Today travellers see
it as a base for exploring the Mal Fatra National Park (p380), area fortresses and folk
villages. Even Martin can be a day trip. In
town, besides the old palacelike castle on the
outskirts, there arent a lot of sights, but the
place has a lively young vibe and good, reasonable restaurants, because of the university
population.
ilina grew around a fortress in the middle
ages. An influential compendium of principles
on civic rights and obligations, written here
in 1370, might be the oldest existing text in
the Slovak language.
The town was occupied by the Hussites
from 1429 to 1434 and, after being ravaged
by the Thirty Years War, faded away until the

when its Romanesque central tower was built.

The Renaissance palace was part of a face-lift
in 1551. (The last restoration was in 1920.) Inside, the Povask museum includes an unusual
tinkers trade exhibition with naive art figures
of metal and wire, as well as displays on period
furniture, church art and early history. Take
bus 21 from the train station; otherwise its a
20-minute walk from Hviezdoslava.
The old town square of Marinsk nm is
completely surrounded by arcaded burghers
houses, which are intruded upon by the Jesuits
baroque St Pauls church (kostol sv Pavla), built in
1743. The fountain and open-air cafs make this
a fine place to pause over coffee and cake.
Povask gallery (%562 6931; www.pgu.sk; tefnikova

North across the Vh river, the Budatn castle

ilina is 64km northeast of Trenn. From

the train station the shopping street Nrodn
leads into the old market square, Hlinkovo
nm. Marble stairs and narrow Farsk climb
from here into the old town, centred on
Marinsk nm. From the south end of the
bus station, follow Jna Milca northwest to
Nrodn.

Ruppeldto

Bansk tiavnica is not the easiest place to

get to without your own transport. Only one
bus daily departs from Bratislava (230Sk, 3

%041 / pop 85,268

Orientation

Mostov

Getting There & Away

ILINA

Sights

Strkova

Pizzeria Soragna (%691 2001; Akademick 9; pizzas 90120Sk) A favourite among the pizza choices. A
large terrace doubles seating capacity (from 30
to 76), but its often still packed in summer.
Matej (%691 2051; Akademick 4; mains 100-150Sk)
Not the grand hotel, but the little Matej restaurant across from it is the best option for Slovak food in town. Dine on the green, shaded
terrace.
U Bhmna (%0903525022; Strieborn 7; mains 100250Sk) Spoon into some really good homemade
soups like the kapustnica (cabbage and sausage). Wild game is also on the menu.
For something a bit stronger, try the
Praovn Irish Pub (%692 0076; Kammerhofsk 12;
h11am-midnight Mon-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat), which attracts a rowdy, bra-bearing young crowd, and
the quieter Jazz Caf (Kammerhofsk 12; h11ammidnight Mon-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat).
Theres also a grocery store at the bus stop.

By far the most user-friendly mountains

around, the Mal (Lesser) Fatra and Vek
(Greater) Fatra are where Slovaks go to hike,
bike and ski. These mountains are a bit lower
than the internationally known High Tatras,
so trails are open more of the year. Services are
a bit cheaper here too, and theres a comprehensive network of trails, chairlifts and chaty
(mountain huts) scattered throughout.
The Mal Fatra is the more popular of
the two mountain groups (despite the name,
its peaks rise higher than those of the Vek
Fatra). The Vh river slices the Mal Fatra into
two parts the rounded Lansk Fatra west
of Martin and the craggy Krivnsk Fatra to
the northeast. Most of the Krivnsk Fatra is
now the Mal Fatra National Park, centred
on what many claim to be the most beautiful
valley in Slovakia, Vrtna.
ilina to the north, and folk culturerich
Martin between the ranges are the largest
towns.

railway brought industrialisation in the late

19th century. Today both the countrys main
motorway and the main BratislavaKosice
train line pass through here.

xn

Eating & Drinking

MAL & VEK FATRA

MA L & V E K FAT R A i l i n a 377

SLEEPING
Hotel Grand.............................8 B2
Penzin Majovey..................... 9 D1
EATING
Bagetaria KReS.......................10
El Greco.................................11
Pizzeria Carolina.....................12
Tesco Department Store.........13
Voyage Voyage..................... 14

C1
C2
C1
C1
B2

DRINKING
Boston....................................15 B2

To Vek Diel
hostel (2.5km)

TRANSPORT
Bus Station & WC..................16 D1

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

sits beside one of several artificial lakes created as part of a water-pumping scheme for
the mines, 5.5km southwest of the old town.
Take the bus to Levice, get off at the second
stop (tiavnick Bane, Rychnava rzc) and
walk 1km south to the camp.
Penzin Kachelman (%692 2319; www.kachelman
.sk; Kammerhofsk 18; r 990Sk; p) Front and centre
on the way up to the old town is a large, square
Renaissance building-turned-30-bed inn. Antlers and other hunting trophies make up the
primary decoration in the public spaces.
Penzin Prjemn Oddych (%692 1301; www.pri
jemnyoddych.sk; Starozmock 3; r 1100Sk; pn) No lies
in advertising here; this guesthouse above the
Old castle really is prjemn (pleasing). Yellow
walls, framed folk embroidery and pine wood
keep the 17th-century building feeling light
and fresh. In addition to the restaurant, theres
a garden playground and a sauna for guests.
Hotel Grand-Matej (%692 1232; www.grandmatej.sk;
Kammerhofsk 8; s/d 950/1790Sk; p) With flags flying and window boxes in bloom, the GrandMatej has an air of formality; it is indeed the
grandest option in town. It rents bicycles for
300Sk a day.

hours) or Bansk Bystrica (74Sk, 1 hours),

at 1pm and 11am respectively. Otherwise a
train or bus ride requires a change at Zvolen,
from where you can take a direct bus (47Sk,
50 minutes); nine buses depart on weekdays
but only one on Sunday.

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P
Sad SN

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Autocamping (%0904668340 or 699 4112; Povadlianske jazero 43; sites per tent 200Sk) This basic camp

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Da

376 MA L & V E K FAT R A i l i n a

378 MA L & V E K FAT R A A r o u n d i l i n a

St Stephen Church (Kostol sv tefana; %0903116624;

Zvodsk cesta; hservices 10am Sun or by appointment) is

Self-caterers head to the Tesco Department

Store (Hlinkovo nm), but the Bagetaria KReS (cnr

one of the earliest Romanesque churches; the

most ancient parts, including some frescoes
rediscovered in the 1950s, date from around
1250. Its 1.25km southwest of the centre.

Nrodn & Jna Milca; sandwiches 30-60Sk, hot dishes 60-80Sk;

h8am-7pm Mon-Sat) is almost as cheap.

Sleeping
The information office has a list of private
rooms for rent (about 300Sk per person) and
student dorms that take summer travellers.
Vek Diel (%500 5249; [email protected]; ilinsk
univerzita, Vysokokolkov 20; dm 300-500Sk; n) A student dorm open to travellers during July and
August, Vek Diel is worth contacting yearround in case it has a vacancy. Take tram 1
from the bus or train station.
Penzin Majovey (%562 4152, fax 5625 239; Jna
Milca 3; s/d 1000/1750Sk; breakfast 100Sk) The deep coral
colour outside is more interesting than the
stark white inside, but the bathrooms are huge
and the tiled floors keep things cool.
Hotel Grand (%562 6809; www.hotelgrand.sk; Sldkoviova 1; s/d 1590/2630Sk; p) The floor-to-ceiling
windows brighten up the bland rooms in this
90-year-old hotel off the main square. Go
deluxe and ask for one with a whirlpool tub
and air-con (3180Sk).

Eating & Drinking

Food stands seem especially popular all
around town, including on the northeast
corner of Hlinkovo nm.
El Greco (Zaymusa 8; mains 90-160Sk; h10.30am-7pm
Mon-Fri; n) Has all your Mediterranean favourites, including a decent rendition of tzatziki.
A picture menu helps you sort out the Slovak
translations.
Pizzeria Carolina (%500 3030; Nrodn 5; pizzas 98137Sk) Tables are filled weekdays to weekend;
Pizzeria Carolina is especially popular with
college students. It has a mixed salad bar
of sorts (with Chinese cabbage as the base
ingredient).
Voyage Voyage (%564 0230; Marinske nm 191;
mains 100-175Sk) Sleek neon and chrome alerts
you that this is not your typical Slovak eatery. The mile-long menu lists re-invented
traditional dishes as up-to-date as the scene
(chicken breasts stuffed with exotic fruits instead of bacon and cheese, for example). Dont
miss the milkshakes.
Boston (%0905481214; Marinsk nm 24; h9ammidnight Sun-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat) Live jazz Tuesday
at 8pm; bar action nightly.

Getting There & Away

The main train line goes from Bratislava
(268Sk, 2 hours, 12 daily), through Trenn
(180Sk, one hour, 20 daily) to ilina, and on
to Poprad (200Sk, two hours, 17 daily) and
Koice (316Sk, three hours, 10 daily). Buses
are quicker and more useful for smaller, regional destinations.
Airport ilina (ILZ; %552 3288; www.letisko.sk),
15km west of the centre, has one daily flight:
six days a week, Sunday through Friday, to
and from Prague. Buses to the airport go from
bus station stand No 1.

AROUND ILINA
Rising dramatically on a rocky outcropping,
Streno castle (%041-569 7400; adult/student 50/30Sk;
h9am-5pm May-Sep, to 4pm Oct) stands guard over
the Vh river, 13km east of ilina on the
road to Martin. The fortress, built in the 14th
century by warlord Mat k, has been in
ruins for three centuries, but sizeable wall and
tower segments remain and some restoration
work has been done. Hike up, up, up to the
castle from the car park on the ilinaMartin
road, or from the Streno train station across
the river. Twelve daily trains go to and from
ilina (18Sk, 12 minutes).
From April through October you can take
a one-hour raft ride on a plte (traditional flatbottomed wooden boat) down the Vh river
past the castle (250Sk per person). The launch
is 7km south of Streno; for more information
contact the Boating & Rafting Society (Prv pltncka
a raftingov spolonos; %0907196999; http://plte.strecno
.sk in Slovak; SNP 86, Streno).

Rajeck Teplice
%041

Fifteen kilometres due south of ilina is

a little spa town thats been known for its
curative waters since the 14th century. The
spa house and hotel underwent a complete
transformation in the late 1990s to become
the upscale Aphrodite (%549 4256-7; www.spa.sk;
s/d 60/109Sk; pns). OK, so the decoration
looks a bit like someone on acid was dreaming
of a Roman spa (overdone gilt columns, garish stained-glass cupola) But unlike other
Slovak spas, where most thermal water is

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reserved for individual services, here they have

different temperature public pools (200Sk for
two hours, free for hotel guests) meandering
among the marble and palm trees. Sauna
World (300Sk for two hours) includes entry
to steamy eucalyptus rooms, salt and herbal
saunas, as well as regular wet and dry steam
rooms.
Private accommodation and restaurants
cluster around the small village lake. The
Tourist Information Office (%549 4366; Osloboditeov
90; www.rajeckapohoda.sk; h8.30-11.30am & 12.30-6pm)

has a welcoming little store and a comprehensive website. From ilina, trains (18Sk, 33
minutes) and buses (22Sk, 30 minutes) zoom
in at least nine times a day.

Rajeck Lesn
%041

Further up the hill, the tiny village of Rajeck

Lesn is insignificant except for the Slovak
Bethlehem (Slovensk betlehem; admission by donation;
h9am-noon & 1-6pm), a 10m wood-carved tableau of the Nativity interweaves with tiny
animated figures illustrating Slovak rural life.
Local carver Jozef Pekara began the project
in the early 1980s. The tableau is next to the
church follow signs from the bus stop. Up to
10 daily buses from ilina (36Sk, 39 minutes)
stop here on the way to imany (14Sk, 10
minutes), but few go midday.

imany
%041

Famed for a 200-year-old custom of painting its wooden cottages in patterns based on
traditional embroidery motifs, imany (www
.cicmany.viapvt.sk) is a photographers dream. The
ubiquitous white graphic patterns on dark log
houses are a striking example of living folk
art. Varnishing the logs brown or black is part
of a centuries-old preservation process. The
white stripes and squiggles that repetitively
cover every spare inch are purely decorative.
Blooms in the spring flower boxes add a festive splash of colour to photos, but then again,
the white snow in this mountain village is
quite the contrast.
Most of the decorated log buildings are
still homes, but one, Radenov dom (imany 42;
adult/student 40/20SK; h8am-6pm Tue-Sun) is a branch
of the Povake museum. Old furnishings,
embroidered snow-white folk dresses, and
local handiwork for sale are inside. Embroidered linens were originally part of elaborate

MA L & V E K FAT R A B o j n i c e 379

dowries that accompanied a new bride. So

important was this skill that an embroidery
needle was put in a baby girls bath to ensure
she would become skilled at the art. Across
the road is a reconstructed two-family house
(included in the museum entry) traditionally
outfitted.
You can rent out a couple of the drevenica
(wood cottage). One has been turned into
the Penzin Katka (%549 2132; penzionkatka@stonline
.sk; r without bathroom per person 290-370Sk), near the
museum.
At least five buses from ilina (47Sk, one
hour) stop at imany on their way to Prievidza (51Sk, one hour), near Bojnice castle. Another five turn immediately around and head
back to ilina. Get off the bus as soon as you
see the first of the log buildings and walk up.
Day trippers take note, there may be a lapse
of several hours between buses especially
around midday and on weekends.

BOJNICE
%046

Could Walt Disney have built Bojnice castle,

or maybe crazy King Ludwig? No? Well, the
Plffy family, owners from the 1600s to 1945,
must have had a well-developed imagination.
The elaborate crenulations and cylindrical
towers are straight out of a fairy tale, and at
festival time the costumed guides spin some
fanciful tales. Slovakias pre-eminent romanticised castle is the main attraction in the village
of Bojnice, above Prievidza.

Orientation & Information

The nearest train and bus stations are 2.5km
east of Bojnice in the town of Prievidza. Local
buses from Prievidza stop at Bojnices main
square, Hurbanovo nm, just below the castle.
The Tourist Information Office (%540 3251; tik
[email protected]; Hurbanovo nm 19; h8am-7pm) is
approximately 200m east of the castle. There
are a couple of ATMs on the main square and
a post office on Sldkoviova.

Sights
The ornate exterior is your first clue that Bojnice castle (Bojnick zmok; %543 0633; www.bojnice
castle.sk; adult/student 130/50Sk; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun May,
Jun & Sep; 9am-5pm Jul & Aug; 10am-3pm Tue-Sun Oct-Apr)

is not the original 12th-century Gothic structure. Its an early 20th-century reconstruction
modelled on the romantic style. Nevertheless, a few remains of the original Gothic and

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

Hubov

ubocha

Ve k Fatra
National Park

To Martin (3km)

Dam

Ratkovo

Trusalov

tovo

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Cable Car.................................4 C3
Povake Museum.................... 5 C1
Star hrad................................ 6 A3
Statue of Juraj Jnok..............7 C1
Streno Castle..........................8 A3
Vrtna Ski Rental...................(see 3)
Raft launch

Vh

Streno

To ilina
(10km)

Varn

To ilina
(10km);

EATING
Retaurcia Star Majer..........16 C2
Starinkova Velre............... 17 C1
Supermarket...........................18 C1

Zajacov

A2
D2
B3
C2
D2
D1
D2

SLEEPING
Autocamping Varn..................9
Chata na Grni...................... 10
Chata pod Suchm.................11
Chata Vrtna......................... 12
Hotel Boboty......................... 13
Hotel Diery............................ 14
Penzin Strek....................... 15

INFORMATION 11
Mountain Rescue Service......... 1 D2
Tourist Information Centre
Terchov..............................2 C1
Vrtna Ski Service.................... 3 C2

Ridge

Capital

Mal Fatra
National Park

Krasany

Doln
Tiina

E50

Hromov
(1636m)

Snilovsk
sedlo
4

Vek Kriv
(1709m)

itn
(1264m)

Bel

potok

Chleb
(1647m)

Poludov gr
(1636m)

cable
car

Gr (989m)
10

12

Star
Dvor

3
Grni
chair lift

16

Baraniarky
(1270m)

Sedlo Prislop
(916m)

583

ink

Var

Yellow-Marked Trail

Green-Marked Trail

Blue-Marked Trail

Kopa
(1187m)

Stoh
(1608m)

Kraovany

Medziholie sedlo
(1185m)

Vek Rozsutec
(1610m)

Medzirozsutec sedlo
(1200m)

Ho r
Podiar
13
Doln
15

1
gorgdiery
e
Nov tefanov
Dvor

di

Boboty
(1085m)

Tiesavy
Gorge

18

5 2

17

Terchov

14

Biely

potok

Mal Rozsutec
(1343m)

Vh

70

Zzriv

E50

Stankovany

Mal Fatra
National Park

Prnica

Orava

Istebn

akov

Ostr
(1066m)

4 km
2 miles

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

0
0

Red-Marked Trail

The long village of Terchov is known for

more than just being the lower entrance to
the Vrtna valley (though it is a good base to
gather info and maps). It was the birthplace
of one of Slovakias favourite folk heroes, Juraj
Jnok (p382), in 1688.
The Tourist Information Centre Terchov (%569
5307; www.ztt.sk; Sv Cyrila a Metoda 96; h9am-6pm) has
hiking, cycling and ski trail maps, souvenirs,
and internet access for 100Sk per hour. Next
door is an ATM.
Above the village of Terchov is an immense aluminium statue of Juraj Jnok, and
west of the village bus stop next to the Obecn
rad (village office) is a little branch of Povake

Terchov

In Slovak, as in German, there are two words

for the English equivalent of castle a
cause for much confusion when translating.
A hrad, like the German burg, was a highly
fortified medieval residence; a zmok, like
the German schloss, was primarily a palacelike structure with less defensive intent.
The latter are often translated in English
as chteaux, which isnt quite accurate as
in Slovakia these buildings rarely resemble
their French counterparts. In Slovakia they
call both castle and just know that one
is fancier than the other. A katie, on the
other hand, is a manor house or mansion,
and a palac, a palace usually in town. At
least thats straightforward enough.

Brnic

MAL FATRA NATIONAL PARK

YOU SAY CASTLE, I SAY POTATO

ley
Val a)
tna olin
Vrtna d
r
(V

Precipitous peaks top the pine-clad slopes and

sentinel-like formations stand watch at the
rocky gorge entrance. The beautiful Vrtna
valley is the focus of the 198-sq-km Mal
Fatra National Park. The area contains some
of the most accessible high-altitude walking
in Slovakia, Vek Kriv (1709m) being the
tallest peak, and services galore.

Stovsk

ai

%041

Pine trees rise above the camp site 2km west

of Bojnice on the bus route to Nitrianske
rudno; A-frame huts (700Sk for three) are
completely shaded. Theres a small buffet
on site.

er

Tr

MAL FATRA NATIONAL PARK

bungalow 140/100/100/1080Sk; hmid-Maymid-Sep)

There is one direct bus a day from Bratislava

(354Sk, 3 hours, 6.15am) to Bojnice. Nearby
Prievidza has more connections from Bratislava (208Sk, 3 hours, 10 daily), as well as
ilina (89Sk, 1 hours, 10 daily) and Bansk
Bystrica (119Sk, 1 hours, 15 daily). Local
bus 3 takes you to the castle.
The only place of interest you can get to
easily by train from Prievidza is Nitra (98Sk,
2 hours, 11 daily).

re

Getting There & Away

un

Numerous small guesthouses line the streets

around the castle and most have restaurants.
This is a tourist town after all.
Camping Bojnice (%541 3845; person/tent/car/

off simply elegant carved-wood beds at Hotel

Lipa. The playground on the hillside terrace is
full of laughing children in summer.
Penzin Bojnice (%540 2141; www.penzionbojnice
.sk; Prievidzsk 39; s/d 700/1000Sk; p) Odd how some
pastel paint and flowers can liven up a concrete box. The modern rooms are fresh too,
and the accommodating staff will make you
dinner upon request.
There are several eateries and cafs on Hurbanovo nm, including Plfyho Pizzeria (%543
1888; Hurbanovo nm 5; pizzas 110-150Sk), with large
pizzas and views of the castle.

MA L & V E K FAT R A M a l Fa t r a N a t i o n a l Pa r k 381

Str

Sleeping & Eating

Hotel Lipa (%543 0308; www.hotel-lipa-bojnice.sk;

Sldkoviova 20; s/d 900/1300Sk; p) Peach walls set

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CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Renaissance parts of the castle survive within

the present structure.
The castle has the usual exhibits of furniture, paintings, statues, weapons, glass
and porcelain in lavishly decorated rooms.
Highlights include the Bojnice Altar, the only
surviving complete work of Italian painter
Nardo di Cione, the Golden Hall, with its
gilded ceiling and a small cave system, some
26m below the courtyard, complete with its
own well.
The time to visit is during one of the many
festivals and night-time tours, the biggest
of which is the International Festival of Spirits
and Ghosts (adult/student 200/70Sk) for a week in
May, which attracts as many as 3000 a day.
Costumed guides re-enact legends and put on
performances throughout the castle grounds.
The place also gets decked out for Christmas, Valentines Day and medieval events,
among others; check the website for schedules. Queues get very long on weekends and
holidays, so arrive early.

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380 MA L & V E K FAT R A M a l Fa t r a N a t i o n a l Pa r k

382 MA L & V E K FAT R A M a l Fa t r a N a t i o n a l Pa r k

museum (adult/student 20/10Sk; h9am-1pm & 1.30-3pm

Mon-Sun) devoted to him.
Jnok Days, an international folk festival held at the beginning of August, draws
musical acts from Slovakia and around the
world.
The tourist office keeps a comprehensive
list of area chaty and private rooms for rent
(both about 300Sk per person). All prices
double during Jnok Days. Theres no camping in the park, so Autocamping Varn (%562 1478;
of Terchov, is the closest. ilinaTerchov
buses pass here; get off at the Varn, Konhora
rzc stop.
Its more interesting to stay in the Vrtna
valley, but if youre stuck, Hotel Diery (%569
5322; www.hotel-diery.sk; s/d 850/1200Sk; p), 1km east
of the Vrtna valley road, is the old-fashioned
favourite because of its log-lined koliba (rustic
restaurant with an open fire, serving traditional
Slovak specialities). Its at the base of a hiking
trail, too. The friendly Starinkova Velre (%599
3130; A Hlinku 246; snacks 20-50Sk, mains 100-150Sk) tearoom in Terchov has scones and homemade
honey to go with your brew. You can also get
a small selection of grilled dishes to enjoy on
a big terrace with Mal Fatra views.
At least hourly buses serve Terchov and
Vrtna valley from ilina (40Sk, 45 minutes).

Vrtna Valley
Wave after wave of mountains rise to a crescendo in the peaks that encircle Vrtna valley

(Vrtna dolina). Mal Fatra National Park was

created in 1987 largely to protect this prime
piece of real estate. Heavily forested rockstrewn only the last 500m or so summers
are a symphony of green in the popular park.
Trails, ski lifts and a cable car put you right
among the scenery.
Naturally, a place this pretty is overrun in
high summer and winter, but you can hike far
enough to lose the crowds, and the valley is almost empty in May and September. Snow hangs
around until April at the higher elevations.
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION

The valley turn-off is at Terchov, 25km east of

ilina. South from Terchov the road branches
left to the hamlet of tefanov; continue
straight and Star Dvor is midvalley. Youve
reached the top of the valley at Chata Vrtna
about 5km from the highway turn-off.
Check with the Mountain Rescue Service
(Horsk sluba; %569 5232, tefanov; http://his.hzs.sk/)

for trail and weather conditions. If you plan

to hike, get the VKs 1:50,000 Mal Fatra
Vrtna map (sheet No 110) or Geografische
Boekhandel Jacob van Wijngaardens Knapsacked Travel in The Mal Fatra Mountains.
For trail and lodging info online, www
.vratna.sk is the best.
ACTIVITIES

Hiking

A cable car (kabnkova lanovka; %599 3049; Chata

Vrtna; adult/student one way 250/170Sk; h8am-4pm)

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MA L & V E K FAT R A M a l Fa t r a N a t i o n a l Pa r k 383

valley to Snilovsk sedlo (1524m) below two

peaks, Chleb (1647m) and Velk Kriv (1709m).
Its about a half-hour climb to either summit
and both are on the red, 43km-long Capital
Ridge trail (Hlvn hrebe) that stretches the
length of the range. From Chleb you could
walk north to Poludov gr (1636m), then
head northwest, passing Chata na Grni and
ending at Star Dvor, where theres a bus stop,
restaurants and services. From the cable car
that would be about a four-hour journey. Or
continue on from Poludov gr to Medziholie sedlo (1185m) and descend to tefanov
village (six hours from the cable car).
One of the most beautiful, and most demanding, hikes is the trail from tefanov (at
about 620m) east to Medziholie sedlo, and then
up over Vek Rozsutec (1610m), with some steep
sections that have ladders and chains. (Note:
the trail is closed from 1 October to 30 June.)
An easier return trail leads east to Medzirozsutec
sedlo (1200m) then down through the Doln
diery gorge and back to tefanov, crossing a
stream several times. Its a 5 hour loop.
For those with more time you could do
the ridge in three days, starting at Zzriva
bus stop, stopping the first night at Chata na
Grni (seven hours) and the second at Chata
pod Suchm (eight hours), passing the freely
accessible ruins of Star hrad (old castle) before
ending at Streno (p378).
About as easy as it gets is the 1 hour
interpretative nature trail between tefanov
village and Hotel Diery in Terchov.

runs from above the hut at the top of the

Skiing

SLOVAKIAS ROBIN HOOD

Juraj Jnok has been talked about, written about, sung about, painted on canvas, etched on
glass and carved in wood. Hes been the subject of three movies and an opera theres even a
Jnok card game. Its hard to imagine a bigger national character. But, like any legend, Jnok
is a mix of fact and fiction.
Born into a peasant family in Terchov in 1688, in 1703 Jnok joined up with Ferenc Rkczi
II to fight the Habsburgs. While away his mother died and his father was beaten to death by their
landlord for taking time off to bury her. Vowing revenge against the ruling class, Jnok took to
the hills and spent years robbing from the rich and giving to the poor (although it can be argued
that he didnt make much of a distinction about who he stole from, nor did he give it away).
In 1713 he was captured in a pub. (Some say he was finally chased down because he murdered
a priest he stole from.) Story goes that an old lady threw down some peas to trip him up as he
tried to escape. He was sentenced and hung on a hook by the ribs to die (gory, eh?) somewhere
in the town of Liptovsk Mikul.
Ask a Slovak about Jnok and youll likely hear what sensational thing or other the robber-hero
did in their ancestral village. In a country that was dominated by foreigners for most of history,
its not surprising that a guy fighting the system (maybe) is considered legendary.

The Vrtna valley is one of the more popular winter destinations in Slovakia. The ski
centre encompasses a total of 14 ski tows, a
winter-only chairlift, a year-round cable car
and almost 13km of prepared ski runs, open
December to April. A day-pass costs 680Sk
for adults and 480Sk for children under 15.
Buy your ticket from the Vrtna Ski Service
(Lyiarska stredisko Vrtna; %569 5055; www.vratna.sk)

in Star Dvor; look for the big car park and

the kasa (cashier) on the left side midway up
the valley. Next door theres a shack with ski
rental (per pair 300Sk; h8am-4pm), and the biggest
ski area is just above.

Sleeping
Theres no free camping allowed in the park;
the closest is Autocamping Varn (opposite).
The Tourist Information Centre Terchov has

lists of private rooms for rent (from 300Sk per

person) on its website (www.ztt.sk), as does
www.vratna.com.
Chata Vrtna (%569 5739; www.vratna.sk/chata
vratna/; dm 220Sk, d with shared bathroom 760Sk; p)

Muddy hikers, giggling children and fragrant

wood smoke fill this well-worn, chalet-style
outfit at the top of Vrtna valley.
Penzin Strek (%569 5359; www.penzionstarek
.sk; tefanov 124; r per person 400-540Sk; n) A warm
and welcoming eight room log cabin. Youll
often find the owners family gathered at the
restaurants outdoor picnic tables.
Hotel Boboty (%569 5228; www.hotelboboty.sk;
Nov Dvor; s 800Sk, d 900-1900Sk; pnis) Skyscraping windows in the dining room create
tremendous vistas of forests and mountains
beyond, in a clean-line contemporary style.
Expect services galore, including sauna, massage, billiards, a free ski shuttle and some
in-room internet connections. From the bus
stop at Nov Dvor walk five minutes north in
the direction of tefanov.
Up on the mountain trails, there are several
hikers lodges. On the western end of the Capital Ridge trail is the 40-bed Chata pod Suchm
(%569 7394; s/d 200/400Sk). In the valley below
Poludov gr, near the upper terminus of
the Paseky chairlift, Chata na Grni (%569 5324;
www.chatanagruni.sk; per person 270Sk) has four- to
six-bed rooms with shared facilities and a
self-service restaurant.

Eating
The food situation in the park is pretty bleak;
most Slovaks bring their own. There are takeaway stands at Star Dvor and theres a supermarket (potraviny) at the valley turn-off in
Terchov. Farm implements decorate the
walls at Retaurcia Star Majer (%569 5419; mains
100-200Sk; h10am-9pm), whose hearty haluky
(gnocchi-like dumplings, usually served with
sheeps cheese and bacon) top the menu.
Pretty much every lodging has some sort of
restaurant. The pizza at Penzin Strek is pretty
darn good (80Sk to 120Sk).

Getting There & Around

Plenty of buses serve Terchov from ilina;
several on weekdays and weekends continue
on from Terchov to valley stops including
Vrtna tefanov (40Sk, 50 minutes), Vrtna
Star Dvor (47Sk, 55 minutes) and Vrtna
vtah (50Sk, one hour), at the top of the valley
near Chata Vrtna.

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Varn; www.selikan.sk in Slovak; per person/tent 75/75Sk,

4-person hut 1000Sk; hMaymid-Oct; s), 15km west

lonelyplanet.com

(%413 4152; Osloboditeov 11; adult/student 30/15Sk;

h8am-4pm Tue-Sun). Today the Matica is housed

in modern headquarters on Mudroova, in

the hills east of the city centre. Slovak artists
and other cultural heroes rest in the modest
National cemetery (Nrodn cintorn).
The former home and studio of Slovakias
best-known 20th-century painter is now the
namesake Martin Benka museum (%413 3190;
Kuzmnyho 34; adult/student 30/15Sk; h8am-4pm Tue-Fri,

teov

va

Oslobodi

Heko

ava
PO H
viezdo
sl

nika

deln

ka K

Mal

olk

lukova

9am-5pm Sat & Sun). The gallery brims with his

happy, soft-focus paintings of rural life.

Sleeping & Eating

Seeing the museums as a day trip from ilina,
or from Lansk Fatra (right), are both viable
alternatives to sleeping in a lacklustre town.
Autocamping Turiec (%428 4215; www.autocamp
ingturiec.sk; Kolnia Hviezda 92; per person in tent 130Sk,
per person in bungalow 180-350SK) Pleasant A-frame

cottages sleep five, small cabins sleep two, and

theres a field for tents. From the bus station
take northbound bus 23 to the end of the line.
Hike 1km west of the highway at Vrtky.
Penzin iern Pani (%413 1523; www.penzion
-cierna-pani.sk in Slovak; Kuzmnyho 24; s/d 650/1100Sk) Its
hard to miss this bright yellowish orange pensin as you go down the street. The furniture is
kind of cheap, but then so are the room rates.
Price includes the sauna. Book ahead.
Mexian Restaurant & Pub (% 090341695;
Osloboditeov 3; mains 120-180Sk; h10am-11pm Mon-Thu,
10am-3am Fri, noon-3am Sat & 2-11pm Sun) Hey mucha-

cho, the burritos and fajitas are surprisingly

good here (though jalepeos are scarce). This
is a good place to socialise on weekends.

Skla

rova

Pribin

ova

Ko
To Blatnica (12km);
Turianske Teplice
(28km)

Sok

Jan

skh

13

raa

14

Jesen

vei
so

reja

olt

And

Open-Air
Market

C2
A1
C3
B1
B2

EATING
Art Club Pizzeria......................... 10 B2
Mexian Restaurant & Pub......... 11 B2
DRINKING
Millennium Bar..........................(see 3)
TRANSPORT
Bus Station................................. 12 A2
Local Buses................................. 13 B3
Local Buses................................. 14 B3

bin

sk

Mojm

Nm
SNP

tov

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Ethnographic Museum................. 4
Martin Benka Museum................. 5
National Cemetery....................... 6
Slovak National Literary Museum..7
Sport Markovi............................ 8

SLEEPING
Penzin iern Pani...................... 9 A1

k
kovs
Mos

eov
Oslo

Prior
Department
Store
Koh

10
8

Svtop

29 augu

ja Km
ea

11

bodit

Daxnerova
ova

tef

Diva
sta

Andre

hora

Mudro

2
12

Daxnerova

Traditional plaster and log buildings from

all over the region have been moved to the
Museum of the Slovak Village (Mzeum Slovensk Dediny;
The countrys biggest skanzen comes complete
with a working krma (tavern). Colourful costumed models and decorations that change
with the season add interest to the traditional furnishings. Weekend programmes
often include folk music. From the Vrtky
train station take bus 10 or 11, or from the
open-air market bus stop take southbound
bus 10, 11, 20 or 41 to the end of the line at
the adove housing estate. The museum is
a further 1km hike up through the woods. Its
only a 100Sk taxi ride from town.
Thought-provoking photography exhibits
change regularly at the nationally run Ethnographic museum (%413 1011; Malhora 2; adult/student
50/25Sk; h9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun). The encyclopaedic
collection of Slovak folk costumes here is regarded as one of the most complete in Europe,
though the display is a bit static.
The Matica Slovensk began in the building
that is now the Slovak National Literary museum

SNP
Theatre

Bernolk

INFORMATION
Netcaf........................................ 1 B2
Post Office................................... 2 A2
Tourist Information Office Martin..3 B2

tha

Andreja Kmea

D
Present
Seat of
Matica
Slovensk

Vajanskho
nm

trovo
nm

300 m
0.2 miles

To Museum of the
Slovak Village (3.3km);
Vek Fatra (15km)

The pedestrian zone has several places to

eat or drink, including the Art Club Pizzeria
(Osloboditeov 8; pizzas 80-150Sk) and the ultramodern Millennium Bar (tefnika 9; h11am-midnight
Sun-Thu, 11am-1am Fri & Sat) in the all-glass building constructed midsquare to celebrate the
year 2000.

Getting There & Away

One daily express trains from Bratislava
(316Sk, 3 hours) and seven from ilina
(36Sk, 30 minutes), but at least 10 a day stop
from each at Vrtky, 7km north of the town.
Local trains go south to Bansk Bystrica (84Sk,
1 hours). There are six daily direct bus connections from Bratislava (272Sk, 4 to five
hours), and 10 to ilina (44Sk, 30 minutes).

AROUND MARTIN
%043

Lansk Fatra
The western, non-national park half of the
Mal Fatra range, the Lansk Fatra, gets
its name from its dominant peak, Vek lka
(1476m), northwest of Martin. The hills
are traversed by popular trails. Podstrne is

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Most long-distance trains stop at the Vrtky

station, in a modern industrial suburb to
the north. From there bus 10 and 12 go the
7km south to the long-distance bus station in
what remains of old Martin. The small train
station opposite is used mostly for regional
connections. The main square, Nm SNP, is
three blocks east.

Sights

%423 9491; adult/student 50/30Sk; h9am-6pm Mon-Sun

May-Aug, to 5pm Sep & Oct, 10am-2.30pm Tue-Fri Nov-Apr).

5
9

Orientation

Train
Station

ho

VP T

ih

In 1861 Turiansk Svt Martin, a minor

town, was pushed into the history books
when a meeting of intellectuals here issued
the so-called Martin Memorandum, urging
the establishment of a Slovak-language administrative district within Hungary.
This drew only silence from the authorities at the time. Two years later a private
cultural and educational foundation called
Matica Slovensk (the kernel of Slovakia) was
launched. The foundation promoted Slovaklanguage schools, museums, musical societies, publishing etc. During subsequent years
of Hungarian cultural domination, Martin
became the epicentre of simmering Slovak
aspirations. On 30 October 1918 the Martin
Declaration, in which the Slovaks formally
opted to federate with the Czechs, was issued
here. Though Bratislava became the capital
of Slovakia, the town of Martin remained its
sentimental centre. Today the town is still
known for its strong nationalist slant.

ltty

isc

History

h10.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat) In the courtyard.

Post office (cnr Pavla Mudroa & Andreja Kmea)
Tourist Information Office Martin %423 8776;
www.tikmartin.sk; tefnika 9A) Loads of information are
available on the 2nd floor of a funky glass-walled millennial monument midsquare. Pick up area hiking and biking
maps here.

ku

There are plenty of ATMs scattered around

Nm SNP.
Netcaf (%439 3195; Divadeln 7; per hr 30Sk;

To Podstran &
C
Martinsk hole (4km);
Vrtky (7km);
Autocamping Turiec (8km);
Z
borskho
ilina (29km)

rov

Museums, museums, museums. If you have

an interest in folk arts and architecture, linguistic and national history, or in Slovak fine
art and photography, then Martin has something to offer for you. The industrial ugliness
of the town seems in direct contrast to its significance in Slovak national identity. Martin
sits in the broad Turiec valley separating the
Mal and Vek Fatra ranges. Unless youre
going hiking in the areas hills, you might
want to make this a day trip from ilina. But
whatever you do, stay long enough to try the
other thing Martin is famous for, the dark,
delicious Martiner beer.

ll

Information

0
0

Pavla

%043 / pop 59,490

MA L & V E K FAT R A A r o u n d M a r t i n 385

MARTIN

Fran c

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

MARTIN

In addition to the bus station, you can catch

local buses is by the open-air market south of
Nm SNP. The skanzen (open-air village museum) is 3km southeast of the centre (about
100Sk by taxi).

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

Kuzmnyho

In the winter theres a free ski shuttle between the valley resort areas. Ask about bicycle rental at the Tourist Information Centre
Terchov; places that rent come and go.

lonelyplanet.com

Novakova

384 MA L & V E K FAT R A M a r t i n

386 O R AVA VA L L E Y O r a v a C a s t l e

a wooded resort area with hillside holiday

homes, from which a year-round lanovka
(chairlift) climbs to Martinsk hole (Martin
Pinnacles), a ski and summer holiday area
on the slopes of Vek lka. Or you can walk
a half-day climb up the snaky yellow-marked
trail. In summer there are fine hikes from
Martinsk hole on the red-marked trail along
the Lansk Fatra ridge. About 11km north
on this trail, guarding the entrance to the Vh
gorge, is Streno castle (p378).
The Turiec valley and surrounding hills are
not only good for hiking, theyre also well set
up for cycling. Bike rentals available at Sport
Markovi (Map p385;%422 3000; www.sportmarkovic.sk;
Osloboditeov 6, Martin; per day/week 300/1200Sk;h9am5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat).

(%422 0015; www.grandis.sk; Hrdinov SNP 350, Podstran;

s/d 2800/3300Sk; pn) conceals a crisp, modern,

blue-and-white interior. The restaurant has a

terrace, the caf a fireplace.
To get to Podstrne, take northbound local
bus 40 or 41 from the bus station in Martin,
about 4km to the end of the line. The chairlift
is 800m from the bus.

Vek Fatra National Park

There are numerous marked trails in the
403-sq-km Vek Fatra National Park (www.sopsr
.sk/velkafatra), down from the ridge line into the
river valley south of Martin. If youre planning on walking in the area, be sure to buy
the detailed hiking and cycling VK map No
121 (1:50,000; 80Sk).
Long and short loop trails start at the picturesque village of Blatnica, 15km south in the
Turiec valley. A fine, long day hike follows
the Gadersk valley at the foot of the 1574m
Krna peak, with an option to return down
the valley of Blatnica past a 13th-century
castle. The ridges between these two valleys
contain several nature reserves. The town
itself contains the small Karol Plicka museum
(%494 8142; Prnayovsk kria, Blatnica; adult/student
30/15Sk; h10.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sat), dedicated to

the nationally famous photographer who lived

from 1894 to 1987.
Autocamping Blatnica (%494 4207; per person/tent
40/60Sk, per person d 200Sk), 2km south of the centre,
has a big field for 100 tents and hostel rooms.

The Tourist Information Office Martin has

lists of area chaty and many are posted under
ubytovanie (lodging) at www.infoturiec.sk.
Blatnica is connected hourly by bus from
Martin (25Sk, 30 minutes) on weekdays, only
a couple go on weekends.

ORAVA VALLEY
%043

The Orava river rises in Poland, twists down

through the highlands west of the High Tatras
and eventually flows into the Vh river east
of Martin. Just as the water flows together,
so have Polish and Slovak customs and language, resulting in the areas Goral culture.
The northernmost of Slovakias regions has
scenic villages, with ranks of traditional log
houses, some with carved fronts. Other highlights include one of Slovakias most photogenic castles, a first-rate skanzen and a hikers
back door into the High Tatras via the Oravas
tributary valleys.
The upper valley and five villages were
flooded by the Orava Dam in 1954. Unregulated postwar industrialisation has also
blighted some stretches. Because of the steep
valleys, regional transport can be tedious.
About 6km north of Trsten on Hwy 59 is a
border crossing to Chyzne in Poland, on the
road to Krakw.

ORAVA CASTLE
The classic 1922 vampire film Nosferatu featured the pointed towers of Orava castle (Oravsk
hrad; %582 0240; www.oravamuzeum.sk; adult/student
140/80Sk; h8.30am-5.30pm Jun-Aug, 8.30am-5pm May,
Sep & Oct; by appointment Jan-Mar), which rise from

the impossibly narrow blade of rock. The

little town of Oravsk Podzmok is quite
overshadowed by this imposing structure.
The castle is visible from the train station,
across the river.
The oldest parts of one of the most complete castles in Slovakia date from at least
1267, with later additions by many royal and
aristocratic owners. Todays look is largely
the result of a reconstruction after the 1800
fire.
Ask if an English-speaking guide is available to take you on the compulsory tour.
The museum is full of weapons, folk art and
period furniture. Its said that looking in one
of the mirrors can make you beautiful, and

lonelyplanet.com

another one, ugly make sure to ask your

guide to point out the difference.
During special summer programmes fairytale characters re-enact their legends as you
tour, you can visit the castle at night, or opt
to be lead by vampires (in late August). Sword
fights and medieval marketplace hawkers are
standard.
Below the castle in the village theres a
small grocery and a pizza place/beer hall.
Penzin Toliar (%589 3124; www.penzion-rosnicka.sk;
r per person 400Sk; p) is a fine grey-and-white
rococo inn at the foot of the castle. Concerned
owners spruce up the lodging and the restaurant before every tourist season. On the road
to Doln Kubin, 1.5km south of the castle,
Penzin Racibor (%582 3353; www.racibor.sk; Raciborie
382; r 600Sk; pn) is a newish log lodge with a
fire ring out back for barbecues, and a sauna
for cooking indoors.
Trains bound for Oravsk Podzmok require a change in Kraovany (36Sk, one hour,
10 daily), 27km south. ilina is a 40-minute
onward train ride (48Sk, 18 daily) from there,
and Liptovsk Mikul (56Sk, 20 daily) is 45
minutes.

PODBIEL
A photogenic little village well known for its
drevenica (log cottages), Podbiel is on your
way to and from almost anywhere in Orava.
A small museum dedicated to folk customs
is open only sporadically. From here you can
take a two-hour raft trip (%532 0451; per person
250Sk) down river to Oravsk Podzmok beneath the castle. Traditional plte are poled
along by guides dressed up in Goral folk costume. (Want a shorter trip? One-hour trips
leave from Horn Lehota.) Look for the beehives on the side of the road as you go along.
This area is known for its honey.
Podbiel is on the train line north of Oravsk
Podzmok (18Sk, 30 minutes, 10 daily).

ZUBEREC
The village of Zuberec, 13km up the Studen
valley from Podbiel, is a pretty little gateway
to the Western Tatras, with its fair share of
traditional architecture at the nearby skanzen.
The Tourist Information Office Zuberec (%532
0777; www.zuberec.sk; Hlavn 289; h8am-5pm Mon-Sat
Jun & Sep; 8am-6pm Jul & Aug) can provide you with

hiking maps and books. Theres a little pastry shop caf and the three-terminal Internet
itaren (Hrady 307; h2-10pm).

O R AVA VA L L E Y P o d b i e l 387

Orava Village Museum (Mzeum Oravskej Dediny;

%539 5149; adult/student 50/30Sk; h8am-5pm daily Jul
& Aug, 8am-5pm Mon-Sat Jun & Sep, 8am-3.30pm Tue-Sat
Oct-May), 3km east of the village, has a more
traditional layout than many skanzens. Its 50
or so log buildings are huddled close to the
stream, as was typical in mountain villages.
Since its one of the few open year-round, here
you can experience first-hand the harshness of
a snowy winter. The oldest and most impressive building is an early 15th-century wooden
church. Ask for the explanatory pamphlet in
English.
The street from the village toward the skanzen is lined with privaty and Zimmer frei (free
rooms) signs. By all means stop by the open
fire at Koliba Josu (%539 5915; www.kolibajosu.sk;
469 Zuberec; mains 70-120Sk; pn); Slovak home
cooking doesnt get any better. To start, try
the fried potato pancake topped with brynda
(sheeps cheese) and crackling, or maybe the
goulash soup made with lamb. Blueberry
dumplings for dessert are a rare treat. The
large log cabin has double rooms upstairs
and cabins out back. Rooms per person cost
290Sk. Its 2km south on the road to Liptovsk
Mikul.
Zuberec is not on a train line and bus connections are sporadic. Two buses a day connect to Liptovsk Mikul (47Sk, one hour).
Counter to the usual pattern, more buses go
to Podbiel (18Sk, 20 minutes) on weekends
(daily on weekdays, 11 on weekends), from
where you can switch to a train heading to
Oravsk Podzmok.
Centru portu (%539 5294; Zuberec 449) rents
mountain bikes for a song at 120Sk per day.

WESTERN TATRAS
One way to escape the eager crowds in the
High Tatras is to explore the western end
of the range, called the Western Tatras (Zpdn
Tatry; www.tatry.bsk.sk in Slovak). You have to be a
go-getter though; transports thin, facilities
limited and the trails demanding. VK map
No 112 (1:50,000; 100Sk) has both hiking and
cycling trails clearly marked. For weather
and mountain conditions contact the local
Mountain Rescue Service (%539 5218; h8am-3pm)
in Zveroka, 8km east of Zuberec. Trails from
these points quickly lead into some of the
highest mountains in Central Europe; dont
attempt any long-distance treks here unless
you have experience with high-altitude walking and climbing.

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

Martins information office has a list of

the many chaty and privaty (private rooms)
for rent, or you could look them up at www
.infoturiec.sk (click ubytovanie to see the
list). The steep chaletlike roof of Hotel Grandis

lonelyplanet.com

0
0

EATING
Billa Supermarket......................... 9 C2
Retaurcia pod ibenicou..........10 B1

ova

Bern

va

10

2
1
Nm
Mieru
Nm
Osloboditeov Town
Hall
5

Former
Synagogue

ta

SLEEPING
Penzin Bowling.......................... 7 C2
Penzin Squash............................8 D2

d
Pal

tro

k
ans

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Janko Kr Museum..................... 5 D2
BoMikul
cianom Torture Chamber..........(see 5)
Mutton Sport Services..................6 D2

Pi

D1
D2

Jilemnickh

olk

ho

To Aqua Park Tatralandia (3km);

Liptovsk Mara (2km);
D1 ATC Liptovsk Trnovec (6km);
D1
Zuberec (28km);

To Bus;
Train
Stations
(500m)

Hodova

INFORMATION
City Information Centre............... 1
Liptour......................................... 2
Post Office...................................3
Z@vin Internet Caf................. 4

500 m
0.3 miles

Bottova

.mikulas.sk; Nm Mieru 1; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8amnoon Sat, 11am-4pm Sun mid-Junmid-Sep; 9am-5pm
Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat mid-Sepmid-Jun) Well prepared
for the onslaught of tourists in summer and winter hit
em with any question you have about the region.

The main square has many eateries.

Retaurcia pod ibenicou (%554 1130; Paluansk
5; mains 100-170Sk) Located across the river, this
place is a local fave.
Sala iarska Dolina (%558 6318; www.salasziar
.sk; iarska dolina; mains 60-120Sk) If you have a car,
drive the 10km for the real deal; this sheep

Hurbanova

City Information Centre (%552 2418; www.icm

Eating & Drinking

Information

1000-person capacity of this lakeside camping ground, attracted by the swimming pool,
beach, fishing, boat rental, playgrounds, miniature golf course
Like sports? Play while you stay at Penzin
Bowling (%562 0625; www.penzionbowling.sk; Starohorskho 3; p), with three lanes in the lobby/bar,
and at Penzin Squash (%562 0053; www.squash-liptov
.sk; Starohorskho 1; p), with a glass-walled court as
you enter. Both are modern (wi-fi and all).

LIPTOVSK MIKUL

Orientation
The mighty Vh river doesnt look so big
here, pooling into a 24-sq-km reservoir called
Liptovsk Mara, the Liptov Sea, which starts
2km west of town and has public access 6km
west, near Tatralandia.
The bus and train stations are located
500m north of the small main square, Nm
Osloboditeov.

.sk; Liptovsk Trnovec; per person/tent 110/60Sk, 4-person

bungalow 2200Sk; ps ) Families fill up the

For many, the Low Tatras (Nzke Tatry) are

synonymous with Jasn, Slovakias best-known
ski resort, in Demnova valley.
The 80km eastwest ridge, framed between
the valleys of the upper Vh river and the
smaller Hron river, is most dramatic where
it pushes above the tree line, and excellent
hiking trails and ski runs crisscross the
territory.
Since 1978 much of the mountains have
been part of the 810-sq-km Low Tatras National Park, though the lower eastern half
is the wildest, with significant numbers of
brown bears, wildcats and other wildlife.
Historically, the administrative district that
encompassed this area was called Liptov, and
residents still refer to it as such. A national
landmark village, a skanzen and the nations
biggest folk festival preserve the indigenous
culture of the region.

ger and bigger: six thermal pools (four open

year-round), two regular swimming pools,
slides and rides galore; an indoor spa with
grottos and saunas; and outdoor sports, like a
summer rope course and winter snow-tubing
run. Western World, the newest attraction,
is a rodeo theme show. There are cabins to
rent and a train-shaped shuttle bus that runs
to the park from the station in town (20Sk,
hourly, 9am to 8pm). Tatralandia is quite
the spectacle. The car park plateau has the
most beautiful valley view of five mountain
ranges (sigh).

%044

h9am-9pm Jun-Sep, 10am-9pm Apr-May & Oct-late Dec;

10am-10pm late Dec-Mar), just keeps getting big-

ad

LOW TATRAS

As a base for heading off into the Low Tatras and exploring nearby villages, Liptovsk
Mikul is useful enough, and the sight of
peaks rising on all sides of the valley is quite
striking. Still, who wants to be in a city when
the mountains and nature are so close?
Other than being the place where Juraj
Jnok (the Slovak Robin Hood; p382)
was executed, the town today is known for
being near the mammoth thermal water park,
Tatralandia.

AQUA PARK TATRALANDIA

The first water park in Slovakia, Aqua Park
Tatralandia (% 547 4536; adult/student 450/280Sk;

ATC Liptovsk Trnovec (%559 8458; www.atctrnovec

Holl

pop 32,930

Juraj Jnok was interrogated.

Sleeping

DRINKING
Route 66 Bar..............................11 D2

Ga

rbia

Sta 9
roh

ors

rsk

kh

8
To Demnova Valley (7km);
Beeov Thermal Park (18km);
Ruomberok (21km);
Vlkolnec (27km)

ho

LIPTOVSK MIKUL

is 15km north of Zverovka.

Buses run from Zuberec to both Zverovka
(14Sk, 15 minutes, daily on weekdays, six on
weekends) and Oravice (22Sk, 30 minutes,
three daily).

Nm Osloboditeov 30; adult/student 30/15Sk; h10am-5pm

mid-Junmid-Sep; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sun midSepmid-Jun), which also houses a reconstruction of Mikul torture chamber (Mikulska muiare;
adult/student 10/5Sk), the town dungeon where

sk

4114; www.oravice.sk/atc/slovak.htm; per person/tent 50/80Sk)

JANKO KR MUSEUM
The leading poet of Slovak romanticism is
honoured at the Janko Kr museum (%552 2554;

Os

theres a good days hike to Rohska ples

(1719m), where a small plateau hides three
alpine lakes and a picturesque waterfall.
A very popular camp site, ATC Oravice (%539

As you travel look for roadside stands

selling fresh cheese. Oh, and dont miss the
thermal waters.
The website www.liptov.sk has thorough
accommodation listings for the region.

Sights & Activities

Dip in the same thermal waters, with less

hoopla, at the Beeov Thermal Park (p390),
18km west of Liptovsk Mikul. The Liptovsk
Mara reservoir was the towns original aquatic
playground. Head to the ATC Liptovsk
Trnovec camping ground, where theres boat
hire and a popular beach.
Mutton Sport Services (%0907481311; www.mutton
.sk; Ul 1 mja 25) can arrange canoe trips on the
Vh river as well as adventure sports, like
paragliding in the Low Tatras.

St Nicholas
Church

1m

aja

11

To Sala iarska
Dolina (10km);
Pribylina (21km);
Vchodn (22km);
Vaec Cave (28km)

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

From the trailhead at Chata Zverovka (%539

5327; www.chatazverovka.sk; Zverovka; dm/d 270/680Sk)

Liptour (%551 4141; www.liptour.sk; Nm mieru 1)

Can book accommodation in Demnova valley.
Post office (Hodova)
Z@vin Internet Caf (Pita 19; per hr 60Sk;
h10am-10pm Mon-Sat, 2-10pm Sun) Internet and email.

jan

Spend a few days in Central Slovakia and youll realise just how important sheeps cheese is to
the local economy. You can buy it at roadside stands, at stands near the ski slopes, and from
display refrigerators in restaurants. A variety of different shapes and sizes is available: ostiopok
is a semihard ball shape, korbaki (little whips) are braided ropelike strands, and then theres
brynda, the cheese at the heart of Slovak tradition. The soft, spreadable cheese is first mentioned by chronicles in the 15th century. Its thought that Vlach (Wallachian) shepherds may have
introduced the process into Slovakia after wandering out of Romania.
The first brynda factory was built in 1787 and prior to EU admission farmers and producers
fought hard for their right not to pasteurise. Samples were sent off to French and German labs
and brynda was pronounced a viable EU product hoorah! You can try it on top of haluky
(gnocchi-like dumplings) and pirohy (moon-shaped dumplings, like Polish pierogies), mixed with
butter and paprika as an appetiser spread, in demikat soup, and on top of fried potato pancakes.
If you havent had enough, look for inina, a traditional sheeps whey drink. Nowhere is it as
fresh as in the rolling hills of Central Slovakia.

L O W TAT R A S L i p t o v s k M i k u l 389

Va

CHEESY BITS

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

ovsk

lonelyplanet.com

Demn

388 L O W TAT R A S L i p t o v s k M i k u l

390 L O W TAT R A S A r o u n d L i p t o v s k M i k u l

dairy restaurant has the freshest brynda soup

(called demikat) and haluky around. Rooms
upstairs (per person 300Sk) are simple and
filled with the valleys peace.
The huge Billa supermarket (Garbiarska ul) is
hard to miss; its right near the large Route 66
Bar (%562 3017; Billa shopping centre; h9am-midnight
Mon-Thu, 10am-2am Fri & Sat, 11am-midnight Sun; a).

Getting There & Away

Liptovsk Mikul is on the main train line
between Bratislava (364Sk, four hours) and
Koice (220Sk, two hours), and is served by
fast trains every hour or two. The Poprad
(94Sk) and ilina (83Sk) stops are both about
an hour away; get off at Kraovany (76Sk,
45 minutes) to switch if you want to go to
Oravsk Podzmok. Bus connections are tedious, only two a day go to Zuberec (47Sk,
one hour).

Beeov

In an effort to compete with the force of man

that is Tatralandia water park, Beeov Thermal Park (%439 2429; www.besenova.com; adult/student 260/170Sk; h10am-9pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat)

spruced up, adding a hotel (double rooms

for 2200Sk) and an indoor slide in 2006. The
pools are still more natural (yes, the curative
mineral water is supposed to be brown) and
the prices lower. Evening bathing in the winter
is quite the thing.
The village has numerous private accommodation. Its just 18km west of Liptovsk Mikula, but there are no buses from
there. Instead you have to take the bus from
Ruomberok (12Sk, 15 minutes, nine daily),
9km west of Beeov, on the main BratislavaKoice train line.

Vlkolnec

Pribylina
About 21km northeast of Liptovsk Mikul,
just past Pribylina village, is a small skanzen,
the Museum of Liptov Village (Mzeum Liptovskej Dediny; %529 3163; adult/student 60/30Sk; h9am-6.30pm
Jul & Aug; 9am-4.30pm mid-MayJun, Sep & Oct; 9am-3.30pm
Novmid-May). Most of the plastered log build-

ings are from the Liptovsk Mara area and

were relocated here just before the dam was
completed and the valley flooded.
Two buses a day (nine on weekends) make
the trip from Liptovsk Mikul (47Sk, 45
minutes).

Vchodn

Orientation

Chata MR
tefnika........ 10 B6
1
Hotel Bystrina & Camp
Site................ 11 A4
Hotel Grand....... 12 B4
Hotel Liptov....... 13 B4
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Crystal Ski............ 3 B4 Hotel Tri
Demnova Freedom
Studniky....... 14 A4
Cave................ 4 A5 Penzin
Demnova Ice
Energetik........ 15 A5
Cave................ 5 A4
Slovakotour
EATING
Agency............ 6 A4 Bistro Jasn......... 16 B4
2
Chopok Bufet...(see 18)
SLEEPING
Lukov Bufet....(see 21)
Apartmny Solum.. 7 A5
Chata Koliesko..... 8 B4 TRANSPORT
Chata
Bus Terminus...... 17 B4
Kosodrevina..... 9 A6 Chopok chairlift.. 18 A6
Chopok bo
chairlift........... 19 B6
Liptovsk
Koliesko chairlift..20 B4
Mara
Lukov chairlift.. 21 A6
E50
Rovn hoa
Liptovsk
chairlift........... 22 B6
3 To Ruomberok (21km)
Mikul
Zradky chairlift.. 23 B5
E50

To Poprad (60km)

Svt Kr

Sights & Activities

12

11

17
16

13

14

Jasn

0
0

200 m
0.1 miles

20

Low Tatras
National Park

15

Zradky
23

Jasn
(1200m)

22
See Enlargement
Rovn
21
Lukov
hoa
(1670m)
19
Chopok
Chopok
(2024m)
bo
18
Deree
(2003m)
9

ey

all

Zradky is adrenaline central, with bungee

jumping, go-karts and a rope course available.
Most big hotels in the valley rent mountain
bikes (about 300Sk per day). Outfitters like

y
l le

Mountain Rescue Service (%559 1678) Up the

slope from Jasn, contact this service for trail and weather
information. The best map for hiking and cycling routes,
is VKs Nzke Tatry map No 1 (1:25,000; 100Sk). The Low
Tatras book (240Sk), part of the Knapsacked Walking series, has detailed descriptions of 50 hiking trails in English.
Online check out www.jasna.sk.
Post office Located in or around the Grand Hotel, theres
a small info booth, ATM and various sport rental places.
Slovakotour Agency (%554 9026;
[email protected] h7.30am-6.30pm Jan-Apr,
7.30am-5pm May-Oct, 8.30am-3.30pm Nov & Dec) Can
help with accommodation, hiking maps and can arrange
an assortment of outdoor activities.

Pavina
Lehota

Hotel Tri Studniky Email access available for 60Sk

per hour.

INFORMATION
Mountain Rescue
Service.............. 1 B4
Post Office........... 2 B4

The valley begins near the village of Pavina

Lehota, 7km south of Liptovsk Mikul.
Strung along the valley is a diffuse collection
of chalets, hotels and chairlifts. The first ski
village is 7km uphill in Zradky, 1km further
is Jasn (1200m). Accommodation strings all
the way up the valley; there is a chata (mountain hut) or two to sleep at on the trails.

Information

3 km
2 miles

Krpova
hoa
(1922m)

umbier
(2043m)

%529 4171; adult/student 60/30Sk; h10am-4pm TueSun May-Nov, 10am-3pm Tue-Sun Feb-Apr) 28km east of

The village of Jasn at the head of the

Demnova valley (Demnovsk dolina) is the
republics premier ski resort, and undiscovered
its not. Bright ski suitclad tourists clunking around in winter snow boots from January to April are replaced come summer with
hordes of backpack-toting hikers. In between,
the pretty, forested valley under the crest of
the Low Tatras can be remarkably peaceful.
Nonstop development (despite national park
status) means youll find ample upmarket accommodation (and prices), and easy access
by footpath or chairlift to windswept walks
and downhill glides. The regions two most
interesting caves are also in the valley.

0
0

str

Fossilised cave bear bones from the ice age

remained for thousands of years before they
were discovered in Vaec cave (Vaesk jaskya;

DEMNOVA VALLEY

DEMNOVA VALLEY

Va

Vaec Cave

Liptovsk Mikul. Tours leave every hour

on the hour, and up to 11 buses (42Sk, 40
minutes) travel between Liptovsk Mikul
and Vaec daily.

i roc

The most prestigious folk festival in Slovakia is the Vchodn Folk Festival (www.liptov.sk
/vychodna in Slovak), 22km southeast of Liptovsk
Mikul, at the end of June or the beginning
of July. People travel not only from all over
Slovakia, but from all over Europe to attend
this showcase of folk music and dance. The
only accommodation in the small village is a
makeshift camp site that springs up just for
the festival otherwise youll have to make
Liptovsk Mikul, or even Poprad, in the
High Tatras your base. Buses from Liptovsk
Mikul (36Sk, 27 minutes) run hourly.

L O W TAT R A S D e m n o v a Va l l e y 391

By

Long recognised as a national cultural reserve, in 1993 the small, folksy village of
Vlkolnec (% 432 1023; www.vlkolinec.sk in Slovak;
adult/student 30/20Sk; h9am-3pm), about 27km
southwest of Liptovsk Mikul, entered the
list of Unescos heritage sites. The 45 log
houses (mostly plastered), with pastel paint
and steep roofs, are highly homogeneous
and remarkably well maintained. Its easy
to imagine a vlk (wolf) wandering through
this steeply wooded mountainside settlement
arranged along a small stream. One of the
buildings has been turned into a small house

museum, but this is still a living village

if just barely. Of the 35 remaining residents,
only three are male (12 are school-age
children).
Walking along the streets youre endowed
with a sense of the remote mountain life, but
you can go deeper by staying overnight. Several of the usually two-room drevenica are
for rent (from 250Sk per person). They all
have kitchens, but you need to bring in your
own food; theres no store near the village.
Check out No 9006 (%903470051; http://vlkolinec
.szm.sk), owned by the gatekeepers son.
Driving or hiking the 6km uphill from
Ruomberok is the only way to get here.
Buses to Ruomberok from Liptovsk
Mikul (40Sk, 36 minutes) go about every
half hour, while trains (56Sk, 18 minutes)
are less frequent.

lonelyplanet.com

Srdieko

To Brezno (14km);
Bansk Bystrica (40km)

10

To ertovica sedlo
(6km)

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

AROUND LIPTOVSK MIKUL

lonelyplanet.com

392 L O W TAT R A S D e m n o v a Va l l e y

Crystal Ski (%559 1460; www.crystalski.sk; Hotel Grand

complex; h9am-4.30pm) can arrange rock climbing, paragliding and the like, in addition to
bike rental.
CAVES

Two limestone caves in the lower valley are

part of Slovakias biggest continuous cave system. About 2km of passages in the Demnova
freedom cave (Demnovsk jaskya slobody; %559 1673;
adult/student 150/130Sk) are open to visitors, and
the smaller Demnova ice cave (Demnovsk adov
jaskya; %554 8170; adult/student 140/120Sk; hmidMaySep) has ice formations at the lowest level.

Daily cave tours leave every hour on the hour

between 9am and 4pm June to August; other
months, 9am to 2pm. Take an extra layer
against the subterranean chill.
Better than going below ground is rising
above it, on fine ridge walks with long views
across the Tatras. From the bus terminus at
Jasn its a 20-minute walk up (south) to the
mountain hut Chata Koliesko (halfway you
pass a hillside bufet). From there a chairlift
(adult/student round-trip 150/120Sk; h8.30am-3.30pm)

ascends to Lukov (1670m) below the ranges

highest peak, Chopok (2024m). To get a little
closer, you could depart Zradky via chairlift (1
stage round-trip adult/student 150/120Sk, 2 stages 250/200Sk;
h8.30am-4.30pm) to Rovn hola (1483m), where

you change to go on to Chopok bo (1829m).

From there a trail returns via Lukov to Jasn.
Take extra layers even in summer.
Chopok is typically packed with people; you
can escape the crowds by following the rocky,
red ridge trail along the crest, west for 35 minutes to Deree (2003m), or east two hours to
umbier (2043m), from where you could take
the green trail through iroka valley down to
the valley road and bus stops below Zradky.
Or, continue west past umbier and in six
hours you reach ertovica sedlo, a mountain
pass village with services on a northsouth
road. (There are chaty en route.)
Alternatively, from Chopok you could
mount the crest and hike down the juh (south)
side 1 hours to the Chata Kosodrevina in
the less-developed Bystr valley. From there
a chairlift (adult/student 130/100Sk; h8.30am-4.30pm
Jun-Sep), or another 1-hour walk, lands you
in Srdieko, a village with several hotels and
the occasional bus out, via Brezno, to Bansk
Bystrica.

Lonely Planet Publications

L O W TAT R A S D e m n o v a Va l l e y 393

lonelyplanet.com

SKIING

LOWER VALLEY

MOUNTAIN HUTS

Jasn is the best downhill skiing area in both

republics. Its possible to ski both the sever
(north) and the juh sides of Chopok mountain.
With 24 runs (eight with snow-making capacity, three lighted), theres a good range for all
levels. Equipment rental stores and stands
(open 8.30am to 4.30pm) are near the car park
at the base of each ski area. Skis or snowboard
equipment go for about 400Sk per day. During
peak season, lift passes for an adult/student are
690/490Sk per day and 3990/2660Sk per week.
Crystal Ski (left) can arrange snowmobile rides
and snow windsurfing. Theres an ice rink and
skate rental behind the Hotel Liptov and snow
rafting in Zradky.

Hotel Bystrina & Camp Site (% 554 8163; www

Chaty (mountain huts) can be anything from

a basic roof over your head to a horsk hotel
(mountain hotel). All have food service of
some sort.
Chata MR tefnika (%619 5120; www.chatamrs
.sk in Slovak; dm 270Sk) Youre at the top of the
world in this hikers hut near umbier peak.
Breakfast is included and full board (200Sk)
is an option. Six-bed rooms.
Chata Kosodrevina (%0905516519; www.chata

Sleeping
There are accommodation options everywhere you look in Jasn. The odds of finding
a room without a booking are pretty good in
summer but nil in winter. A multitier system, slightly different at every hotel, makes
quoting rates tricky. Prices are at the highest
during Christmas and Easter. The next tier,
about 30% less, is January to March for most
hotels. Here we quote midhigh season (June
to September), generally 20% less than the
high-season prices. Low season (April and
May, October to Christmas) rooms can be up
to 50% off the highest room price.
Slovakotour (p391) and Liptour (p389)
can help with private accommodation in the
valley, at prices starting at 300Sk per person.
Also check out the private listings on www
.liptov.sk (called bed and breakfast).
AUTHORS CHOICE
Hotel Tri Studniky (% 547 8000; www.tri
studnicky.sk; s/d 1725/2200Sk; pnais)
Massive logs hold up the glass-and-stone
front entrance, a roaring fire blazes in the
stone hearth inside. Furnishings are midcentury mod with low-slung lines and
earthy hues. A copper wall in the restaurant sets off all the wood and stone to
good effect. A few feet behind the hotel
runs a picturesque stream with a wooden
bridge and path beyond. Upstairs, the plaid
bedspreads are appropriately woodsy, just
not as upscale as the fabulous public room
appointments. You really cant do better in
the valley.

.hotelbystrina.sk; s/d 875/1100Sk, per person/tent 100/80Sk;

p) The plain and simple doubles are some

of the cheapest around. Theres an 8-hectare

camping ground that is quite shady around
the edges at the base of the valley. Two restaurants are on site.
Penzin Energetik (%547 6911; www.slovrekrea.sk
in Slovak; r/ste 900/1300Sk) One of the many accommodation options with the log lodge look, this
one has a sauna, sun bed and hydromassage
shower. Some of the rooms are wheelchairfriendly, quite a rarity.
Apartmny Solum (%562 3853; www.solum.sk;
4-person apt 2400Sk; pn) What a modern marvel: new and stylish one-bedroom apartments
have a small kitchen and pull-out couch in the
seating area. Downstairs, the communal living
room has leather couches to lounge around
the fireplace beside the billiard table. Offers
wi-fi and bike rental.
JASN

Hotel Liptov (% 559 1506; www.hotelliptov.sk; s/d

750/1000Sk, without bathroom 350/800Sk; p) Small
shared bathrooms are the bargain of the hill
(200m from the ski slopes). Adjacent to the
sport-oriented hotel is an archery park, a
paintball course and an ice skating rink (in
season). Ski and sport rental.
Hotel Grand (%559 9141; www.grandjasna.sk; s/d
1950/2600Sk; pnais) One hundred and
twenty rooms fan out in two wings from
a central hub that looks a bit like a shopping centre. Theres even a small information
centre next to the ski rental place. Bike rental,
one chairlift ticket, pool and sauna are all
included in the room rate. A wi-fi hotspot
and baby-sitting are available.

kosodrevina.sk in Slovak; d/tr/q per person 350/300/250Sk)

Over the hill and through the woods, dormlike Chata Kosodrevina is on the south side
of Chopok mountain. Sleeping-bag space will
set you back just 150Sk.
Chata Koliesko (%559 1674; www.liptov.sk/koliesko/;
s/d 850/1700Sk; p) A short hike up from Jasn, at
the base of the chairlift, Koliesko could hardly
be in a better spot or feel more like an alpine
lodge. The kitschy-in-a-good-way restaurant
(mains 160Sk to 350Sk) has a fireplace and
the requisite skiing trophies.

Eating
Stand-alone restaurants are an endangered species here, but most lodgings have decent, handy
restaurants. The ones in Hotel Tri Studniky
(fancy) and Chata Koliesko (casual) are good.
There are small buffets at the Lukov and
Chopok chairlift terminals. Theres a krma
and food stands at Zradky and near the car
park south of the ice cave. Small Bistro Jasn
(%559 1554; mains 95-150Sk; h8am-7pm), above the
main Jasn car park, serves standard stuff.

Getting There & Away

Almost hourly buses run between Liptovsk
Mikul (with valley stops along the way) to
Jasn (23Sk, 40 minutes).

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CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

HIKING

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