Donovaly is one of the most famous ski resorts in Slovakia , located at the junction of the territories of the Velka Fatra National Park and the similar Low Tatras Park. Founded in the 17th century, Donovaly became an important center of anti-fascist resistance during the Second World War, which also spread here, and in the post-war years it became a center of winter entertainment.

 

It was not for nothing that Donovaly received the highest rating for the best technical equipment of the ski center, the quality of service and maintenance of the snow cover, and ensuring a high level of safety for tourists.

Among the factors that popularize the resort, an important role is played by the favorable climate, which, based on long-term meteorological observations, guarantees the stability of the snow cover from November to the April chapel. The tracks available here are spread over two ski areas, which allows those who ski to be in a homogeneous environment in terms of skill. In particular, the Zagradishte zone is reserved for beginners, which is carefully distanced from the intricate complexity of the tracks for professionals, called Nova Gola.

Let’s look into history

In the past, several villages were located here, widely known in the district for the production of charcoal. Later they merged into one and were named Donovaly. The first written mention of the village dates back to 1702. The settlement is surrounded by mountains on all sides, so it is not surprising that most of its inhabitants worked in forestry. Nevertheless, many found work in Horegron iron ore workshops.

Donoval today

Today, Donovaly is considered a resort village. Recently, many mountain hotels, apartments and comfortable hotels have appeared here, such as the Galileo Hotel or the Residence Hotel, located right in the center of this mountain village. There is no shortage of food establishments either – from restaurants to self-service cozy wooden huts (folk-style restaurants) and high-quality hotel restaurants that will satisfy even the most discerning gourmet.

Village guests can swim in the pool, relax in the sauna or soak in the whirlpools. Massage programs offered in many places will not leave you indifferent.

Slopes and tracks

The ski season in Donovaly begins in December and lasts until April. High-quality snow cover is provided by specialized equipment and a mound of artificial snow. Skiers can rent equipment and sports equipment, ski service, preparatory schools for novice athletes. Illuminated slopes ensure safe night skiing.

 

 

On the slopes surrounding the Donovaly resort , there is a whole range of skiing entertainment. A few numbers are proof. The total length of the slopes of Donovaly is 11 kilometers, of which 7.4 kilometers are provided with artificial snow with the help of snow cannons. 14 tugs and 2 cable cars are used to transport numerous skiers to the top. Evening skiing, which lasts until 21:00, is served by the P2 tug and chairlift.

 

The following fact testifies to the democratic accessibility of the ski resort: out of 18 trails available here, 13 are easy, 4 trails are of medium difficulty, and only one is really difficult. Embodying the ideas of pluralism, Donovaly took snowboarders to a more than half-kilometer track, and cross-country skiers were given special routes 9 to 17 kilometers long. For skating, the routes are regularly prepared on the eve of the weekend.

   

Where to stay

Vacationers can stay in one of the hotels on the territory of the resort, or use the services of small cottages and hotels, and spend the evening with pleasure in one of the restaurants or bars, visit the local fitness center, sauna.

Rezort Gothal Chalupy 3 stars

            

Guests of the Gothal Chalupy apartments can enjoy various sports and outdoor activities in the nearby reservoir.

The apartments are surrounded by Fatra and Low Tatras mountains, 12 km from the Donovaly ski resort.

The amenities of all chalets include a private bathroom with a shower, a furnished kitchen, a TV with cable channels, Wi-Fi and a safe.

The water world includes various swimming pools, a health center with saunas, restaurants, conference rooms, badminton courts, a bowling simulator, bowling, a fitness center with a climbing wall, a children’s playground and other amenities.

There are 2 types of restaurants in the complex.

Penzión Limba Donovaly 3-star

     

Guest house Limba Donovaly is located in the ski area of ​​Donovaly, within walking distance of many ski lifts. A restaurant, a bar, wellness services, bowling and billiards are at guests’ disposal. Free private parking is provided on the territory.

All rooms at Limba Guest House are fitted with a TV with cable channels, a desk and a private bathroom with a shower or bath. The windows offer a view of the mountains. Some rooms are equipped with a balcony.

The guest house has a restaurant and packed lunches are provided.

Amenities include a 24-hour front desk, a safety deposit box, bicycle rental, meeting rooms, and ski storage. Lovers of active recreation can engage in skiing or go hiking.

Apartmán Residence Bella Donovaly 4 stars

    

Apartments Residence with a view of the mountains Bella Donovaly Complex are located in the village of Donovaly . It offers a restaurant, a bar, a garden, a children’s playground and a sun terrace, free Wi-Fi and free private parking.

All apartments have a kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave oven, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, ironing facilities, a wardrobe and a cozy corner with a sofa. The private bathroom has a spa bath, a hairdryer and free toiletries.

Continental and buffet breakfast options are available every morning at Residence Apartments. A fitness center is at guests’ disposal.

Both a ski equipment rental service and a bicycle rental service are available at Residence Apartments. Guests at Bella Donovaly Apartments can enjoy skiing.

Park Snow Donovaly ski resort is 700 m from the aparthotel. The distance to Poprad-Tatra Airport is 101 km.

Villa Gloria 3 stars

     

Villa Gloria is located next to the Zagradishte ski slope in the village of Donovaly. It offers rooms with flat-screen satellite TVs and mountain views. Free parking is provided on the territory.

Each room has its own bathroom with a shower and a small cozy corner with a wardrobe.

There is a common living area with a fireplace on the territory. In the nearby Hotel Gardenia, which is 800 meters away, you can rent a bicycle, use a steam room, a hot tub and a sauna.

Also, 800 meters from the hotel is the Fun Aréna Donovaly recreation center, which offers various winter entertainment for children and adults. A tennis court and the popular Gabakuki amusement park are a 5-minute walk away. There are restaurants near Villa Gloria.

Entertainment

On the territory of Donovaly, you can engage in other equally interesting sports: paintball, bobsleigh, snow rafting, jumping on a bungee trampoline, paragliding. Fans of snowboarding and freeriding can spend time in the snow park.

Fun of a different order is offered by Monkey way – the longest ropeway center in Slovakia. Six ropeways suspended in the forest beckon to overcome their half-kilometer length, which takes into account the individual training of daredevils. And the climbing wall located nearby allows you to safely polish the skills of rock climbers, overcoming its fourteen-meter height.

With all due respect to Donovan’s sports pastime, the nightlife under its vaults is key. The free rhythm of the disco will help relax muscles strained by a mountain vacation, billiards, air hockey, darts, and bowling are available to more tired vacationers. A special golf simulator will allow fans of the new-fangled hobby to practice basic movements, and the laser shooting range available in Donovaly will publicly reveal modest snipers.

Vacation with children

In addition, this resort is ideal for vacations with children – highly qualified employees will take care of children in a specialized kindergarten, entertain them at attractions or provide exciting pastimes at the children’s ski school. The children’s skiing area is equipped with a lift, transport belts and a high level of safety is constantly maintained.

In addition, in the summer, athletes can enjoy spending time here, doing summer sports. Despite the fact that Donovaly is famous for the ski center Park Snow Donovaly, which is considered the largest and best equipped in Slovakia, today we will focus more on the summer season, when the surroundings are not covered with dense, deep snow.

 

From spring to autumn

If you are a fan of active recreation, Donovaly is an ideal choice. In the vicinity of the settlement you will find numerous marked tourist routes. It remains only to choose in accordance with your physical training. On the way you will be surrounded by beautiful views, and if you are here at the right time, the forest will offer you all its sweet and juicy riches. Local administrators did not forget about cyclists. The length of local cycling routes is 230 km. Some of them are completely updated, and some appeared for the first time this year. Many of the tracks are circular, others will take you far into the mountains. The shortest route is 1.7 km, and the longest is 35.3 km. But do not forget that they pass through the mountains. A very interesting route connecting Rozhomberok and Banska Bystrica, on which you can ride not only on mountain bikes, but also on road bikes.

Recently, in Slovakia, they finally started to think about us, the lazy ones, who welcome sports activity in the fresh air: they ride bicycles, swim and climb mountains, but after two or three days of such pastime, they dream of relaxing comfortably. The best option for recreation is when you can find everything listed in one place. Donovaly became such a place.

It goes without saying that Donovaly is the best winter resort in Slovakia. But few people know that recently tourists are waiting there in the summer as well, offering a wide variety of ways of active recreation. Absolutely everyone will find entertainment to their heart’s content: adults and children, athletes and lazy people, adventure and adrenaline seekers and naturalists.

Gabakuki is a fairy forest

Right in the heart of Donoval, surrounded by untouched nature, is the fabulous village of Nabakuky. Cute cottages bring back memories of Pavel Dobshinsky’s fairy tales. He made them with his own hands Upav Gadache. Popular fairy-tale characters come to life in the village every day with the help of professional actors. Not only children, but also adults will be happy to find themselves in a fairy tale. The complex includes a festive hall, an amphitheater, a large meadow and a souvenir store with all kinds of wooden souvenirs. During the weekend, the colors of traditional Slovak culture are created by artisans who are happy to share their skills with everyone who is interested. In the village, you have to pay with magic money “golden gabakuks”, which have the equivalent of 1 euro and “silver gabakuks”, which in turn correspond to 50 cents. The main season in the village lasts from May to September.

Cableway to Nova Goly

The hybrid cable car to Nova Gola, which is popular with skiers in winter, also operates in summer. It depends only on you where you will go in the 8-seater cabin or, if you are brave, on the 6-seater open platform with seats. In any case, a trip by cable car is an exciting event. An impressive panorama awaits you at the top.

If you have taken care of suitable shoes, you can walk back from the mountain. Fresh air, picturesque nature, wild berries, wonderful panoramas – all this awaits you with an easy ride. You will have to walk to the center of Donoval for about an hour. If you decide on a longer hike, don’t forget to put water, a sweet bar, a raincoat or spare dry socks in your backpack. The weather in the mountains is very changeable. Just below Novaya Gola, a hill of entertainment awaits you – modern Fun Agepa Donovaly. Every motorist will be glad to have free parking in the very center of the resort.

 

Taboganova bean road

At the lower station of the cable car to Nova Gola, the entrance to the bean road catches the eye. This, at first glance, children’s entertainment will simply captivate you. Driving on this road requires a lot of courage. The track is 900 m long. During the rapid descent, you will overcome 11 steep turns and seven jumps. If you don’t have enough courage, the beans are specially equipped for you with a special brake system that allows you to slightly reduce the speed. The only safety tip is never to stop the bob completely and do not get off it before reaching the final stop. A lift will take you to the top right in the beans, and you will fly down like clockwork.

Rope center and climbing wall

Monkey way is the name of the largest and longest rope center in Slovakia at the moment. It is located in the forest near the main highway E77 connecting Ružomberok and Banska Bystrica. There are 6 cable routes of varying degrees of difficulty waiting for the bravest, the total length of which exceeds 500 m. There is also a climbing wall, 14 m high, right next to the rope center.

Trampolines

If you think that a trampoline is entertainment for children, then you are a little mistaken. Absolutely everyone can jump on some of the 8 trampolines, regardless of age. The only limiting factor is that a person’s weight should not exceed 80 kg. So don’t think about it – set the limiters and go ahead! Highly recommend. Not only will you have great fun, but you will also help your body relax. Four bungee trampolines are also equipped for children, where you can jump even higher with the help of rubber bands. It is absolutely safe to roll over in the air, do somersaults or just try to jump up to a height of 7 meters.

Donoval from a bird’s eye view

Paragliding courses are organized in Donovaly . If you want to try paragliding, if the weather is good (the main thing is that there is no rain, snow or strong wind), you can fly from Nové Gola down into the valley with an experienced instructor. At first, you’re a little afraid, especially before the start, when the adrenaline rushes. Then there is only a pleasant feeling of victory over oneself, and later comes the pleasure of flying.

And at night there is no rest from entertainment

If you are not tired of an active sports day in the fresh mountain air, you can go to have more fun in the evening or at night. For dance lovers, there is an open disco, and for enthusiastic players, there is a bowling alley, where you can also play billiards, darts, or air hockey. You will also find a laser shooting range or a golf simulator in the town.