Donovaly lies in a spacious mountain pass at an altitude of about 960 metres above sea level; its territory extends into the Low Tatras National Park. It also offers hiking, cycling and winter sports, as well as distinctive cultural sites. When choosing where to stay, you can focus on a specific route, sporting activities or Slovak folk culture.

Trails and Outdoor Activities

If you’d like to include a named hiking route in your plans, the Donovaly–Šachtička educational trail is 11.5 kilometres long. This distance gives you a specific measure to compare the route length with the time you have available. Cycling options range from family rides to full-day mountain tours—a wide range of possible ride lengths.

At Riders Park, the trails vary in difficulty: the flow trails are designed for beginners, while the advanced trails feature jumps, berms and technical sections. The four-seat Buly Expres chairlift takes bicycles directly to the trailheads at Riders Park. This lets you choose between the trails in the park and cycling routes ranging from family rides to full-day tours.

For winter sports, PARK SNOW Donovaly offers groomed ski slopes and modern lifts. The winter sports facilities, Riders Park and cycling routes each offer a different focus. When planning, consider which activity you’d like to make the main focus of your stay.

Individual Attractions

A 14-metre-high climbing wall stands next to the car park for the cable car to Nová hoľa. The toboggan run in Donovaly is just under 900 metres long and has seven jumps. As it may operate seasonally, check its opening times before you visit.

Folk Tales and Local History

Habakuky consists of houses built in a folk-inspired fantasy style. The attraction immerses visitors in the Slovak folk tales of Pavol Dobšinský. Its architecture and stories give the place a distinctive character if you’re looking for a cultural experience alongside outdoor activities.

The Church of St. Anthony of Padua (Kostol sv. Antonína Paduánskeho) dates back to 1825. It contains a Neoclassical altar with a painting of Saint Anthony by A. Stollman of Banská Bystrica. Three other religious sites are the chapels in the settlements of Bully, Mistríky and Polianka. Another point of historical interest offers a glimpse into Donovaly’s development: the town grew out of seven charcoal-burning settlements belonging to the Banská Chamber.

Information on the Go

Donovaly’s mobile travel guide offers multilingual text and images, as well as, above all, audio information about tourist attractions. Download the information in advance; the guide will then also work without GSM or mobile data coverage. This lets you download the information before your visit and use it even without such coverage.

Discover more destinations: Mistríky, Nemce, Malachov, Dolný Harmanec, Turecká, Motyčky, Vlkanová, Podkonice.

View the wider travel overview: Banská Bystrica District.