Malá Fatra National Park

The Malá Fatra rises sharply east of Žilina, and the Krivánska section around the Vrátna valley holds the highest and sharpest ground: Veľký Kriváň at 1,708 metres, ridges that are narrow and rocky by Slovak standards, and a cable car up to Snilovské sedlo that puts walkers on the crest without the climb. Below, the Jánošíkove diery gorges are the best-known scramble routes in the country. The national park, declared in 1988 after two decades as a protected landscape area, covers some 226 square kilometres, about four-fifths of it forest.

The landscape

• The Krivanska ridge - narrow rocky crests, sharper than most Slovak ranges.
• The Vratna valley - the main access valley with the cable car from its head.
• Janosikove diery - gorge routes with ladders and chains through narrow clefts.
• Rozsutec - a distinctive rock peak at the northern end of the ridge.

When to go

June to October is the walking season. Snow closes the ridges from November to May and some routes are seasonally shut for wildlife. Weekends are crowded on the gorge routes.

Before you go

The gorge routes are one-way and get very congested at weekends; queues form at the ladders. Some trails close seasonally for grouse breeding and the closures are enforced. Weather on the ridge changes fast.

Nearby

Terchova is at the valley mouth, and Zilina is west.

Key facts