Magurka and the Magurka Golden Trail

Magurka is the closest trip into the Low Tatras from us. Don't expect cable cars or crowds. It's a small settlement at the end of a valley where gold, antimony and silver were once mined. What remains of the mining history are adits, water channels and stories that the educational trail now tells.

Getting there

From the farmstead, drive to Partizánska Ľupča and continue up the Ľupčianska valley to the Tajch junction. From there, follow the signs to Magurka. A paved road leads all the way to Chata Magurka, where you park and where the trail starts and ends. You can also come from the other side, from Liptovská Lúžna.

The Magurka Golden Trail

The loop is 8.4 km long with 11 information boards (numbered 0 to 10). With breaks it takes about 4 hours. From Chata Magurka you climb the blue trail to the main ridge of the Low Tatras; the climb is pleasant and fairly easy. You return to the chalet on the yellow trail. The trail is open all year and you walk it on your own, without a guide.

The boards tell you about:

• placer gold and the ore-dressing plant in the centre of the settlement,
• the Bašovňa water system with its channels and reservoir,
• the Russegger, Kilian, František, Leopold and Ritterstein adits,
• the Striebornica silver vein and the geology of the Low Tatras,
• the last stop, Viedenka, where you can try gold panning.

The texts were written by Martin Chovan, emeritus professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University.

Food and rest

The Chata Magurka restaurant is at the start and end of the loop. Opening hours change with the season, so check them at magurka-liptov.sk. You can also eat in Partizánska Ľupča on the way back.

Who Magurka is for

For families with school-age children who enjoy stories and gold panning, and for anyone who wants the Low Tatras without cable cars and car parks full of cars. It's also a good choice on a day when Jasná is packed.