Holiday apartment in Kralova Lehota – History and cycling routes

At the foot of the Low Tatras, Kráľová Lehota lies in the eastern part of the Liptovská kotlina basin. The village is located at the confluence of the Biely Váh and Čierny Váh rivers and combines a distinctive landscape with an unusually well-preserved local history.

Landscape

The wooded valleys in the surrounding area lie on shale and sandstone, while the rocky mountain ridges consist of limestone and dolomite. Turková is also located near Kráľová Lehota, on the right side of the lower basin of the Čierny Váh pumped-storage power plant. Turková is designated as a protected area.

History

Kráľová Lehota was founded between the late 13th and early 14th centuries by royal servants. Their task was to guard forests and hunting grounds. The settlement later developed into a place of the lesser nobility. At the end of the 16th century, there were twelve curiae here, meaning manor houses.

The location along waterways and transport routes determined the development of the village. Kráľová Lehota was built at the mouth of waterways and along transport routes, so travellers heading into the Bocianka and Čierny Váh valleys had to pass through the settlement. Important roads from the east, south and west intersect below Kráľová Lehota.

Hydropower was also used historically: on the Váh and on the Bocianka and Hybica streams, it enabled the operation of mills, sawmills, tanneries, stamp mills and hammer mills.

Culture and traditions

Important cultural monuments in Kráľová Lehota include the Evangelical church and the Zemianska kúria of the Lehotský family. The Evangelical church stands in the central part of the village. It is a Neo-Gothic building erected between 1886 and 1894 in place of a wooden religious building dating from 1784, which had been destroyed by fire.

Fašiangy is a living tradition. On the last Saturday of Carnival, a singing masked procession through the village is part of the custom. During the subsequent Fašiangy evening dance, the double bass is symbolically buried. This ritual represents the beginning of Lent.

Cycling routes

Several described routes pass through Kráľová Lehota and connect the village with Upper Liptov. The cycling route through Upper Liptov runs from Liptovský Hrádok via Kráľová Lehota and Čierny Váh to Štrba and Važec, and then back to Liptovský Hrádok. It is suitable for road bikes. The shared section to Štrba passes through forests in the valley of the Čierny Váh River.

The route Cestou Liptovského sna runs from Liptovský Hrádok via Kráľová Lehota, Svarín and Čierny Váh to Benkovo. The penultimate stop is planned to be the open-air museum of the Liptov Village in Pribylina, before the route returns to Liptovský Hrádok.

Visit Liptov’s Route 11 also passes through Kráľová Lehota. It connects Podtureň, Borová Sihoť, Liptovská Porúbka, Svarín, Čierny Váh, Maša, Hrádocký hrad and Liptovský Hrádok.

Historic transport routes

The history of the region’s routes includes the former Považská Forest Railway, one of the longest forest railways in Slovakia. Its construction began in 1913 and was completed in 1940. From 1932, it also transported passengers between Liptovský Hrádok and Teplička.

More destinations

For further options in the surrounding area, Vyšná Boca, Liptovské Matiašovce, Liptovská Sielnica, Partizanska Lupca, Malatíny, Liptovsky Jan, Žiar and Nižná Boca are available.

For the higher-level travel overview: Liptovský Mikuláš District.