Holiday apartment in Vyšná Boca: mining history and hiking trails

Vyšná Boca has been mentioned as a royal mining town since 1551 and lies in the protected zone of the Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT).

History and Culture

An informative introduction to the town’s history is provided by Banícky dom. The house illustrates the traditional way of life and living conditions of a mining family and contains original historic furnishings. The rear room houses an exhibition on the history of mining in the area around Vyšná Boca. During the summer season, demonstrations of the traditional hay-transport method known as “Bocké batohy” are planned there.

The architectural heritage of the two municipalities has also been preserved. The traditional houses in Vyšná Boca and Nižná Boca were built in the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. They have a distinctive floor plan expanded from the three-part layout principle. Vyšná Boca and Nižná Boca also had a form of meadow farming. This includes listed hay barns and stable buildings that give the surrounding area a distinctive character.

The Evangelical church in Vyšná Boca was built in 1785 as a Neoclassical toleration church on the site of a late-16th-century religious building. It has a wooden ceiling and galleries on three sides.

Landscape

The Kyselka mineral spring is part of the local landscape. It emerges from a mine adit and produces excellent iron-rich mineral water with a sour taste. Together with the nearby municipalities of Nižná Boca and Malužiná, Vyšná Boca forms the 16-kilometre-long Bocianska Valley.

Trails and Activities

The Zlatnica educational trail is accessible year-round and can be explored on foot or by bicycle. It is 12 kilometres long and includes 11 information stations. Another educational trail connects Bacúch and Vyšná Boca. It has five information boards covering nature conservation, history and mining. The trail is of moderate difficulty, 14 kilometres long, includes 690 metres of elevation gain and takes approximately five and a half hours.

Bocianske sedlo is a junction of hiking trails. These include the yellow-marked trail from Vyšná Boca to Králička and onward to Chata generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika below Ďumbier. The mountain shelter at Bocianske sedlo provides protection in rain or thunderstorms and is located in the immediate vicinity of a frequently used ridge trail.

The Rovná hoľa hike begins in the mining settlement of Vyšná Boca below Čertovica. The Bačova Roveň Ski Centre is also located in the municipality of Vyšná Boca, with groomed, artificially snow-covered slopes and night skiing.

The information on distances, elevation gains and durations makes the different trail profiles immediately clear: Zlatnica combines a 12-kilometre route with eleven stations and year-round access, while Bacúch–Vyšná Boca is described as a moderately difficult route taking approximately five and a half hours, with 690 metres of elevation gain. Additional marked connections meet at Bocianske sedlo, including the trail via Králička to Chata generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika below Ďumbier.

Other places: Liptovské Kľačany, Gotovany, Pribylina, Liptovska Anna, Lazisko, Svätý Kríž, Liptovský Hrádok, Huty.

To the broader travel overview: Liptovský Mikuláš District.