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 a significant center of the anti-fascist Resistance during World War II, which also reached here, and in the post-war years turned into a center of winter entertainment.

It is not for nothing that Donovaly received the highest rating for the best technical equipment of the ski center, the quality of service and care for 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 many years of meteorological observations, guarantees the stability of the snow cover from November to the April chapel. The trails here are spread across two ski areas, which allows those who ski to be in a homogeneous environment in terms of skill. In particular, the Zahradishte area is reserved for beginners, which is prudently distanced from the intricate complexity of the trails for professionals, called Nova Gola.

Let’s look into history

In the past, there were several villages here, widely known in the district for the production of charcoal. Later, they merged into one and were called 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 residents worked in forestry. Many, nevertheless, found work in the Goregron iron ore workshops.

Donovaly 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, which are located right in the center of this mountain village. There is no shortage of food establishments here either – from restaurants to self-service cozy wooden kolyba (folk-style restaurants) and high-quality restaurants in hotels, which will satisfy the most demanding gourmet.

Guests of the village can swim in the pool, relax in the sauna or soak in the whirlpool pools. Massage programs offered in many places will not leave you indifferent.

Slopes and trails

The ski season in Donovaly begins in December and lasts until April. High-quality snow cover is provided by specialized equipment and artificial snow. Skiers can rent equipment and sports equipment, ski service, and preparatory schools for beginner athletes. Safe night skiing is ensured by illuminated slopes.

The slopes surrounding the Donovaly resort offer a full range of skiing activities. Here are some figures to prove it. The total length of Donovaly’s slopes is 11 kilometers, of which 7.4 kilometers are provided with artificial snow using snow cannons. 14 tows and 2 cable cars are used to transport numerous skiers to the top. Evening skiing, which lasts until 9:00 p.m., is served by the P2 tow and chairlift.

The democratic accessibility of the ski resort is evidenced by the following fact: out of 18 trails available here, 13 are easy, 4 are of medium difficulty, and only one is truly difficult. Embodying the ideas of pluralism, the Donovalys have allocated more than half a kilometer of track for snowboarders, and cross-country skiers have been provided with special routes 9 to 17 kilometers long. For the skate style, the routes are regularly processed on the eve of the weekend.

Where stay

Vacationers can stay in one of the hotels on the resort territory, 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 Gothal Chalupy Apartments can enjoy various activities sports and active recreation in the nearby reservoir.

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

All chalets feature a private bathroom with shower, a furnished kitchen, cable TV, Wi-Fi and a safe.

The water world includes various swimming pools, a wellness 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.

The complex has 2 types of restaurants.

Penzión Limba Donovaly 3 stars

Limba Donovaly is located in the Donovaly Ski Area, a few minutes’ walk from many ski lifts. It features a restaurant, a bar, wellness facilities, bowling and billiards. Free private parking is available on site.

All rooms at Limba Guest House feature a TV with cable channels, a desk and a private bathroom with a shower or a bath. You can enjoy mountain views from the rooms. Some rooms have a balcony.

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

Facilities include a 24-hour front desk, a safety deposit box, bicycle rental, meeting facilities and ski storage. Active vacationers can go skiing or hiking.

Apartmán Residence Bella Donovaly 4 stars

Residence Apartments Bella Donovaly Complex is located in Donovaly. It features a restaurant, bar, garden, children’s playground and sun terrace, free WiFi and free private parking.

All units feature a kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, ironing facilities, wardrobe and a seating area with a sofa. The private bathroom comes with a hot tub, a hairdryer and free toiletries.

Continental and buffet breakfasts are available every morning at Residence Apartments. Guests can enjoy a fitness centre.

Ski equipment hire and bike hire are available at Residence Apartments. Guests at Bella Donovaly Apartments can enjoy skiing.

Park Snow Donovaly is 700 metres from the aparthotel. Poprad-Tatry Airport is 101 km away.

Villa Gloria 3 stars

Villa Gloria is located next to the Zagradište ski slope in Donovaly. It offers rooms with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and mountain views. Free parking is available on site.

Each room has a private bathroom with a shower and a small seating area with a wardrobe.

There is a shared lounge area with a fireplace on site. In the neighboring Gardenia Hotel, 800 metres away, you can rent a bike, use a steam bath, a hot tub and a sauna.

Also 800 metres from the hotel is the Fun Aréna Donovaly activity centre, which offers various winter activities for children and adults. A tennis court and the popular Habakuky amusement park are a 5-minute walk away. Restaurants are located next to the Gloria Villa.

Entertainment

In Donovaly, you can do other equally interesting sports: paintball, bobsleigh, snow rafting, bungee jumping, paragliding. Snowboarding and freeriding enthusiasts can spend time in the snow park.

Monkey way, the longest Slovak rope centre, offers a different kind of fun. 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 hone your skills as you climb its fourteen-meter height.

With all due respect to Donovan for sports, nightlife under its arches is in full swing. Relax your muscles strained by mountain recreation will help the free rhythm of the disco, more tired vacationers have billiards, air hockey, darts, bowling at their disposal. A special golf simulator will allow fans of the newfangled hobby to practice basic movements, and the laser shooting range available in Donovaly will publicly reveal the modest snipers at heart.

Holidays with children

In addition, this resort is ideal for holidays with children – highly qualified staff will look after the little ones in a specialized kindergarten, entertain them on rides or provide an exciting pastime in a children’s ski school. The children’s ski 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 known for its Park Snow Donovaly ski center, which is considered the largest and best equipped in Slovakia, today we will focus more on the summer season, when the surrounding area is 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 hiking trails. All you have to do is choose according to your physical fitness. 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 have not forgotten about cyclists. The length of local cycle paths is 230 km. Some of them have been completely renovated, and some appeared for the first time this year. Many of the routes are district, 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 Rožomberok and Banská Bystrica, on which you can ride not only mountain bikes, but also road bikes.

Recently, Slovakia has finally started to think about us, the lazy ones, who welcome outdoor sports activities: cycling, swimming and climbing mountains, but after two or three days of such pastime, they dream of relaxing in comfort. The best option for relaxation is when all of the above can be found in one place. Donovaly has become such a place.

It goes without saying that Donovaly is the best winter resort in Slovakia. But few people know that recently they have been waiting for tourists there in the summer, offering a wide variety of active recreation options. Absolutely everyone will find entertainment to their liking: adults and children, athletes and lazy people, adventurers and adrenaline seekers and naturalists.

Habakuki – a fairy-tale forest

Right in the heart of Donovaly, surrounded by untouched nature, is the fairy-tale village of Habakuky. Cute huts evoke memories of Pavel Dobshynsky’s fairy tales. Upav Gadache made them with his own hands. Every day, with the help of professional actors, popular fairy-tale characters come to life in the village. 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 weekends, the flavor of traditional Slovak culture is created by artisans who are happy to share their skills with everyone interested. In the village, you have to pay with magic money “golden habakuks”, which are equivalent to 1 euro and “silver habakuks”, which in turn correspond to 50 cents. The main season in the village lasts from May to September.

Cable car to Nová Hóly

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

If you have taken care of suitable shoes, you can walk back from the mountain on foot. Fresh air, picturesque nature, wild berries, wonderful panoramas – all this awaits you during an easy descent. You will have to walk to the center of Donovaly for about an hour. If you decide to go on a longer hike, do not forget to put water, a candy bar, and a raincoat or spare dry socks in your backpack. The weather in the mountains can be very changeable. Just below Nova Gola you will find an entertainment hill – the modern Fun Agepa Donovaly. Every motorist will be happy with free parking in the very center of the resort.

Tubing bean road

At the lower station of the cable car to Nova Gola, the entrance to the bean road catches your eye. This, at first glance, children’s entertainment, will simply captivate you. Driving along this road requires great courage. The track is 900 m long. During the downhill run, you will overcome 11 sharp turns and seven jumps. If you lack courage, then especially for you the bobsleighs are equipped with a special braking system, which allows you to reduce speed a little. The only safety tip is to never stop the bobsleigh completely and do not get off it before reaching the final stop. The lift will take you up right in the bobsleighs, and you will fly down like butter.

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 E77 highway, which connects Ružomberok and Banská Bystrica. Найвідважніших там чекають 6 канатних трас різного ступеня складності, що загальною довжиною перевищують 500 м. Відразу біля канатного центру знаходиться і альпіністська стіна, висотою 14 м.

Батути

Якщо думаєте, що батут – це розвага для дітей, то трохи помиляєтеся. На деяких з 8 батутів може вдосталь пострибати абсолютно кожен, без поправок на вік. Єдиний обмежуючий фактор – вага людини не повинна перевищувати 80 кг. Так що не роздумуйте – ставте обмежувачі і вперед! Дуже рекомендуємо. Не тільки відмінно розважитеся, але ще й допоможете своєму тілу розслабитися. Для дітей ще обладнані чотири bungee-батути, де можна з допомогою гумових стрічок підстрибувати ще вище. Абсолютно безпечно можна перекидатися в повітрі, робити сальто або просто намагатися дострибнути до 7-метрової висоти.

Доновали з висоти пташиного польоту

У Доновалах організовані курси параглайдингу. Якщо хочете параглайдинг випробувати, то при гарній погода (головне, щоб не було дощу, снігу або сильного вітру), можна з досвідченим інструктором пролетіти з Нове Голи вниз у долину. Спочатку трохи боїшся, особливо, перед стартом, коли адреналін зашкалює. Потім вже тільки приємне відчуття перемоги над самим собою, а пізніше приходить насолода польотом.

І вночі немає спокою від розваг

Якщо Вас не зломив активний спортивний день на свіжому гірському повітрі, ввечері або вночі можна відправитися розважатися далі. Для любителів танців відкрита дискотека, для захоплених гравців – боулінг, де можна пограти і в більярд, дартц або повітряний хокей. Знайдете в містечку і лазерний тир або гольфовий тренажер.