Holiday apartment in Valča – Snowland, hiking trails and culture

Valča is located where the slopes of the Lesser Fatra merge into the Turiec Basin. The village combines this landscape with a diverse range of offerings centred around Snowland, mountain trails, experiences in nature and historical monuments. Snowland has groomed ski slopes covered with artificial snow. The facilities also include free parking spaces for 1,200 cars and 10 buses.

Experiences in every season

YETILAND is located in the Valčianska dolina, a children's park with attractions in a dry area and a water area. These include trampolines, inflatable castles, slides and rope obstacles; a water park is also added in summer. Snowland also offers tennis courts and a golf academy in summer. Thus, in addition to the ski slopes, seasonal sports activities are available at this location.

Hiking trails lead from Valča to the Maríková saddle. From there, hikers can continue along the ridge of the Lúčanská Malá Fatra to Martinské hole or Kľak. A blue-marked hiking trail also runs through the Valčianska dolina from Valča via the Majbíková saddle to Kunerad. Another route begins at the car park by the Snowland ski resort and leads via a yellow-marked turnoff after the entrance to the Šindelná dolina to two partisan bunkers. The hike to the partisan bunkers above the Valčianska dolina is classified as easy, is 8.6 kilometres long and is specified as taking 2 hours and 55 minutes.

Nature and landscape

The Smradľavá voda sulphur spring rises in the Slovianska dolina. The Brčná ponds, which offer fishing opportunities, are also located there. Another marked route through the landscape is the Turiec cycling route Tanková cesta, which passes through Valča. It runs along a predominantly asphalted carriageway designated exclusively for cycle traffic.

The Malá Fatra Special Protection Area for birds, code SKCHVU013, overlaps with practically the entire upper third of Valča's cadastral territory.

Culture and history

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is considered a defining landmark of Valča. It stands on the site of an older church from the 11th century. The traditional cultural heritage also includes the dances ručníkový, patekát, kožúškový and čardáš.

The Olejkársky dom was built at the beginning of the 19th century in the Classicist vernacular style. The Kaštieľ Valča manor house was built in the second half of the 19th century in the Classicist style. The manor house Kaštieľ in Valča is listed as a national cultural monument under registration number 638/1 of the ÚZPF SR.

Valča is also associated with the historical occupation of oil herb trading, known in Slovak as olejkárstvo. The oil herb traders and saffron merchants from Valča became known in the former Tsarist Russia, Persia, Spain and Istanbul. Another testimony to the area's earlier history is the hillfort: its existence is dated to the 1st century BC based on archaeological finds, while the surviving ramparts are approximately 1.5 metres high.

Additional local pages are available for further regional orientation: Bela-Dulice, Sutovo, Kláštor Pod Znievom, Vrútky, Príbovce, Vricko, Blatnica Pri Martine.

For the higher-level travel overview: Martin.