Best of Mala Fatra

Little Fatra Essentials

Little Fatra is defined by the jagged limestone summits of Veľký Rozsutec and Veľký Kriváň, the range's highest peak at 1,709 meters. The landscape includes the Jánošíkove Diery gorges, featuring steel ladders and bridges over rocky cascades. Medieval history is preserved in the ruins of Strečno and Starý hrad, which once guarded the Váh river trade routes. Cultural highlights include the 7.5-meter steel statue of folk hero Juraj Jánošík and the Slovenský betlehem, one of the largest moving wooden nativity scenes in Europe.

Little Fatra Essentials — Map

Michal Jakubský / CC BY 3.0

A

Jánošíkove Diery

Janosikove Diery or simply 'Holes' is a nice and quite non-challenging hike through canyons and narrow rocky paths.

Martin Goryl / CC BY-SA 4.0

B

Veľký Rozsutec

Velky Rozsutec, 'Big Rozsutec', is the highest peak (1610 m.a.s.l.) of Mala Fatra mountain range.

Matušberak / CC BY-SA 4.0

C

Strečno Castle

The Strečno Castle is a reconstructed ruin of a medieval castle of an irregular plan located in northern Slovakia, 12 km east of Žilina.

Eple487 / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Šútovský Waterfall

Šútovský vodopad is a waterfall in Slovakia located in the Malá Fatra mountains, 4 kilometres north of the town of Šútovo.

Prazak / CC-BY-SA-3.0

E

Veľký Kriváň

Veľký Kriváň is the highest mountain in the Lesser Fatra mountain range in Western Carpathians in Slovakia.

F

Vrátna dolina

Vrátna dolina or Vrátna Valley is a valley in the Malá Fatra mountain range in Slovakia.

Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Slovenský betlehem

Slovak Bethlehem, as it is often called, is a unique work of art carved out of wood and supposedly the biggest wooden moving Bethlehem in…

H

Chleb

The third-highest peak in Little Fatra, reaching 1,646 meters. It is accessible via a gondola lift from Vrátna valley and offers panoramic views of the Turiec basin and the main mountain ridge.

Katy Kanckova / CC-BY-SA

I

Juraj Jánošík

A 7.5-meter-tall monumental steel statue overlooking the village of Terchová. It commemorates the legendary Slovak folk hero Juraj Jánošík, who was born in the area in 1688.

Prazak / CC BY 2.5

J

Old Castle

A 13th-century medieval ruin situated on a granite cliff above the Váh river. Originally built to protect a trade route through the Strečno Gorge, it was abandoned in the 18th century.

Other Lists

Iconic Mountain Peaks Alpine Huts and Shelters Natural Wonders of Malá Fatra Historic Castles and Ruins Sacred Sites & Historic Churches