A trail through the spa town of Ľubochňa and through the landscape of the longest mountain valley in Slovakia.

Start and destination: parking lot in the town centre of Ľubochňa
Trail: 8 km (+ 8 km back)
Marking: green bike trail
Surface: asphalt road, paved road
Difficulty level: mildly rising, almost horizontal road
Safety: The trail leads through the town along the local third-class road. There is sporadic traffic of foresters and cabin owners. From about the middle of the trail, there is prohibition of entry for vehicles, but there still might be occasionally passing cars of foresters or cabin owners.

Trail:
From the centre of the town, we go along the mildly rising road leading to the valley. Right at the beginning, we pass by the spa park crossed by trails with resting points and benches. We walk through the rest of the town and enter the valley. Here we begin to see the beautiful nature of the Great Fatra, as we are entering into its depths. Passing by the creek, we are entering the territory of Nižné (lower) and Vyšné (upper) Krátke, where there is a ski lift, frequently used especially by the local skiers. The valley starts getting wider and reveals more of what’s within, as we are getting closer and closer to the heart of the Great Fatra National Park. We continue through the valley to the place where the green-marked bike trail turns left from the asphalt road, in the direction to Salatín gamekeeper’s lodge. Here our trail ends and we return following the same route. After we have returned from the hike, we can use the services of the restaurant located at the beginning of the trail.

Notes:
– There is a restaurant at the beginning of the trail.
– There is an educational trail running through the town and the beginning section of the valley, and we can see its information panels along our trail.
– There used to be a well-known climatic spa in Ľubochňa in the past, as evidenced especially by the local architecture. Today, Ľubochňa is the seat of the renowned National Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes.
– In the vicinity of the trail, there is a small hydro-power station, which used to power the first electrified railway in Austria-Hungary, and it includes an exhibition.
– There used to be a narrow-gauge railway running through the valley in the past, and it is still possible to see a few of its elements, if you look for them.
– In the valley, there are several important protected natural territories with rare flora and there are rare animals living there.
– At the end of our trail, further along the green-marked bike trail, there is an unnamed waterfall, situated in the valley of the Salatín Creek right behind the bridge (approx. 1.5 km further after Salatín gamekeeper’s lodge).
– The green-marked bike trail continues further to Černová (Ružomberok), but the terrain gets a lot more difficult, so we recommend returning back. However, those who haven’t had enough may continue further along the Ľubochnianska Valley, all the way to the artificial fire-protection water tank in the territory below Močidlo, from where you are not allowed to continue further on bicycles.
– The trail enters in the territory of the Great Fatra National Park, therefore you must observe its rules for the visitors.