The route description Staré Hory - Skalka
| Lengt | Climb | Descent | Max inclination+ | Max inclination- | Higets point | Lowest point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26,9 km * | 1675 m | -959 m | 37, % | -29,6 % | 1219 m | 418 m |
* The turning to Piesky (2 x 0.4 km) is included.
Moderately difficult, up to difficult
From Studnička, follow the forest path with the blue tourist signs until you come to the former Piesky settlement. A gentle descent along a forest road then takes you to the urban area Uľanka. Yellow sign will take us to a marked zebra crossing on the road E77, then alongside houses to the rail siding of the paper-making factory SHP Group. We walk to its gate and from there along the road to Harmanec. In Harmanec, use the asphalt road and turn left into the Cenovo valley. The asphalt road in this narrow valley (marked as a yellow tourist trail) leads to the Kordíky village. From Kordíky, continue along the green marked trail on a gentle descent along forest paths to the Chata nad Tajovom chalet (770 m). The trail follows the remaining green markers and leads you to the crosswalk Tichá (875 m). From there, follow the yellow markers and steeply climb to the Sedlo Tunnel (saddle) (1150 m) in Kremnické vrchy (Kremnica Mountains). From the Tunnel, take the red trail to reach the Skalka hill (1220 m).
From Staré Hory to “Tichá”, the bike path follows the hiking trail of Barbora Way. At the trail intersection in “Tichá”, turn left and use the trail with green sign posts. The bike path (green trail) leads you to the cottage named “Chata nad Králikmi”. From there, the bike path has sign posts to “Zlatá studňa.” You should then follow red signs to the saddle named “Bystrické sedlo” and from there, blue signs to Skalka (1220 m).
Staré Hory - the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary
(Basilica Minor),
Harmanec - view on the village
Gergely Tunnel
Skalka - pension "Guldiner"
Skalka – the mountain ranges
Stops on the route
Piesky
The original name of the Piesky village was “Sandberg” (i.e. “Sand hill“). Over time, the locals slovakized the name and called the settlement Zamperk. The first mention of Piesky is in 1263 when it was mentioned as Mons Pyrosus. The Piesky copper mines are first mentioned in the middle of the 15th century. Nevertheless, mining roots reach much deeper into history. In the 19th century, around 100-140 people lived in Piesky. Living in “Zamperk” was not easy. On slag heaps nothing grew, so almost everything had to be carried on people’s backs from Špania Dolina or Staré Hory. Špania Dolina and Piesky were connected by a mining tunnel called Prekop. Until now the Chapel of Our Lady has been preserved there. You can still see the outer walls of the former house, two entrances to tunnels and a fragment of a cemetery on a steep slope. The area of the extinct settlement has a peculiar charm. The surrounding forests are impressive and, at the same time, peaceful. In some places, there are slag heaps and overgrown paths leading through sloping hillsides. A tunnel was built between Špania Dolina and Piesky. Nevertheless, extraction gradually decreased and in 1953 Piesky perished.
Koliba u sv. Krištofa
Koliba u St. Christopher is a traditional wooden log building (shepherd’s chalet). It lies on the edge of a large assembly parking area on the E77 international highway going to Liptov and on to Poland. The chalet is an authentic looking, rustic restaurant with excellent cuisine. In addition to traditional Slovak dishes - dumplings, pies, dumpling wrappers, various kinds of goulash, soups and desserts, it also offers various kinds of drinks. Saint Christopher (from Greek “Bearing Christ”) is the patron saint of drivers, travelers, pilgrims, and athletes.
Harmanec
Harmanec is a settlement tied to the manufacturing of paper products, started in the 19th century and still operating today. Thanks to the establishment of the paper mill, Harmanec became an independent municipality. Similarly, in the surrounding villages and also in the Harmanec settlements, Lower and Upper Harmanec developed due to the discovery of copper. Mining was already active in the Middle Ages. Harmanec lies on an important road as well as railway link between the towns of Martin and Banská Bystrica. The single-track railroad from Banská Bystrica to Vrútky is known for having the largest number of tunnels in Slovakia (22 in total) and the longest railway tunnel at Čeremošné (4,672 meters). In Horný Harmanec, the cave Harmanecká jaskyňa has an extremely rich occurrence of soft white sinter and a number of wintering bats. Above Dolný Harmanec, in the Rakytovo valley, a log flume for floating timber has been restored and is again operational. With a length of 2,450 meters, it is considered a national cultural monument, unique in Slovakia and Europe. Built in the 19th century, it was used to float logs from an inaccessible forest terrain down to the valley, especially in spring when the flow of water is sufficient.
Kordíky
Kordíky lies below the mountains Kremnické vrchy at an altitude of 800 m. The original settlement arose in the 16th century at the initiative of the Mining Chamber. Its inhabitants were busy making charcoal, producing wooden wares, sheepherding, and breeding cattle. Currently, Kordíky belongs to the well-known tourist places frequented mostly by people from Banská Bystrica, in summer as in winter. Numerous footpaths around the village are great for walking and cycling in summer and cross-country skiing in winter. There is also a nature trail. Another attraction on Barbara’s trail is the Gergely tunnel [9], a remarkable piece of work. Located on the ridge of the mountains Kremnické vrchy at an altitude of 1150 m, it lets you cross from the Bystrica to the Kremnica flank of the mountain. It is simple and physically undemanding to go up there from the well-known Skalka tourist center. The tunnel was used to transport silver and copper from the smelters in Banská Bystrica and Tajov to the Kremnica Mint since it provided the shortest path between Kremnica and Banská Bystrica. For centuries, the tunnel not only served that purpose but was also used by pilgrims from Kremnica who transited to the religious celebrations and pilgrimages taking place in Staré Hory.
Gergelyho tunel
The Gergely tunnel is a remarkable piece of work. Located on the ridge of the mountains Kremnické vrchy at an altitude of 1150 m, it lets you cross from the Bystrica to the Kremnica flank of the mountain. It is simple and physically undemanding to go up there from the well-known Skalka tourist center. The tunnel was used to transport silver and copper from the smelters in Banská Bystrica and Tajov to the Kremnica Mint since it provided the shortest path between Kremnica and Banská Bystrica. For centuries, the tunnel not only served that purpose but was also used by pilgrims from Kremnica who transited to the religious celebrations and pilgrimages taking place in Staré Hory.
Accommodation on the route
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
We recommend the following accommodation and catering establishments