The nature of the Veľká Fatra enchanted the participants of the event “A Day with an Expert at the King’s Well”, which combined the exploration of the unique landscape with the expert commentary of Mgr. Peter Vantara, landscaper of the Veľká Fatra National Park and Mgr. Katarína Vantarová, PhD., an independent scientist at the Institute of Botany of the Center of Plant Biology and Biodiversity of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
On Saturday, April 26, we experienced a beautiful and enriching day in the bosom of nature of the Veľká Fatra during the event “A Day with an Expert at the King’s Well”. Together with thirty participants, we set off from Banská Bystrica and by bus we got through difficult terrain to the mountain hotel Kráľova studňa.
After a short welcome, we introduced the participants to the program of Swiss-Slovak cooperation and that it was thanks to the second Swiss contribution that we were able to organize this event. Subsequently, a guided walk through the area began. The route was easy and suitable for all ages, led through beautiful natural scenery and important places in the locality.
The hiking trail took us to the Kráľova studňa spring and higher to the source of the Bystrica River. Here you will find a resting place with benches and a beautiful view of the Kráľova Rock or Camel Rock. From the Kráľova studňa spring, you can continue along the red trail to Krížna or along the yellow trail to the mouth of the Dedošova valley and from there to the Gaderská valley and the village of Blatnica. But we still went to the opposite side – along the trail to the symbolic cemetery of the victims of the mountains in the Veľká Fatra and the SNP memorial. On the way to the monuments, we could see the beauty of the ridge of the Veľká Fatra and also the highest peak of Ostredok or the hill of Krížna.
Throughout the route, experts explained various aspects of the landscape to the participants – from its geological structure through plant communities to human interventions in nature in the past and present. We learned, for example, how the management of mountain meadows has changed, why some species are disappearing and how the landscape is naturally regenerating.
Expert Mgr. Katarína Vantarová, PhD. attracted the participants especially by talking about rare and protected plant species that grow only in this area, and showed us several of them directly in the field. We could see e.g. Carpathian soldanelka or Spiš saffron. For the first time, many participants realised how important the biodiversity of the mountain environment is and how we can protect it.
After a few hours of walking, we returned to the accommodation facility at Kráľova studňa, where the participants could relax on the sunny terrace of the hotel or order lunch. Informal conversations continued even during relaxation or a bus ride – participants asked experts for more details, shared their impressions and experiences.
At the end of the day, we moved back to Banská Bystrica by bus again. The whole event took place in a friendly and inspiring atmosphere. The participants especially appreciated the opportunity to combine a stay in nature with an expert commentary, which helped them to better understand the activities carried out by the Veľká Fatra National Park as a nature conservation organization.
Many participants are already looking forward to the next Day with an Expert, which we will soon inform you about on our website and social networks.
From the feedback from our participants, we select:
“Nice people and information new to me, as we do not perceive many connections in everyday life. It is my first event and it met expectations. Thank you for this opportunity. 😊 “
“It was great. I learned a lot of useful information that I had no idea about before. Yes, go on, hold on, I respect such people very much.”
Supported by the second Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme, which contributes to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the EU. Project number: 0410-2SC-BIO-PC1-001
