Banská Bystrica Region
The Banská Bystrica Region ( sk, Banskobystrický kraj, ; hu, Besztercebányai kerület, ) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest region by area, and has a lower population density than any other region. The Banská Bystric ...
of central
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
. Being situated in an important
pass
Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to:
Places
*Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland
* Pass, Poland, a village in Poland
*Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits
*Mountain pass, a lower place in a mountai ...
between the mountains of
Veľká Fatra
Veľká Fatra (; also Great Fatra or Greater Fatra; hu, Nagy-Fátra) is a mountain range in the Western Carpathians in Slovakia. The Veľká Fatra lie to the southeast of the better known Malá (Lesser) Fatra mountains and are less developed, as ...
Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mo ...
with
Ružomberok
Ružomberok (; german: Rosenberg; hu, Rózsahegy; pl, Rużomberk) is a town in northern Slovakia, in the historical Liptov region. It has a population of around 27,000 inhabitants (45,000 with nearby villages).
Etymology
The name of the initia ...
, it became a prominent centre of winter and summer sports.
History
Donovaly was founded in the early 17th century. During World War II, it became an important center of the anti-German Resistance.
Tourism
Donovaly is a part of
Low Tatras National Park
Low Tatras National Park ( sk, Národný park Nízke Tatry; abbr. NAPANT) is a national park in Central Slovakia, between the Váh River and the Hron River valleys. The park and its buffer zone cover the whole Low Tatras mountain range. The Natio ...
, and it hosts one of the biggest and most popular
ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...
s in Slovakia. Elevation is between 910 – 1,402 m, and there are more than 11 km of ski slopes, 17 lifts and elevators.
In 2006, the Telemix lift by POMA, France – the 3rd of this kind in the world – was installed.
It consists of 6 seated lift chairs, and 8 seated cabins, so the skiers can choose how they will go up to the top.
Winter season starts from end of November and lasts until late March, beginning of April. It is also renowned for its
dogsled racing
Sled dog racing (sometimes termed dog sled racing) is a winter dog sport most popular in the Arctic regions of the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in Nor ...
championships.
File:Road 59 in Donovaly.JPG, State road 59 in Donovaly
File:Parking in Donovaly.JPG, Parking for tourists
File:Footbridge in Donovaly.jpg, Footbridge in Donovaly
File:Church in Donovaly.jpg, Small church in village
File:Cemetery in Donovaly.JPG, Cemetery