With its preservation, the Veľká Fatra is one of the tourist gems of Slovakia.
It hides a number of beautiful nooks and crannies and, most importantly, provides beautiful views not only of the surrounding nature. The most attractive places of probably every mountain range is to conquer the main ridge. It is no different with the Veľká Fatra, which provides beautiful views of the surrounding landscape and neighboring mountains such as the Low Tatras, the Choč Mountains, the Malá Fatra and, with good visibility, the High Tatras.
The elevation of the main ridge over the valleys is not large (600 – 900 m). Any point of the main ridge can be reached by hiking from the ends of the valleys in about 2-3 hours. A dense network of marked hiking trails is used to explore the Veľká Fatra. The boarding routes to the main ridge lead mostly through the main valleys (Gaderská, Necpalská, Belianska, Ľubochnianska valley). Some routes also lead through specially protected areas, such as nature reserves, national natural monuments, protected areas and the like.
The problem during hiking is unauthorized camping or bivouacking in the territory of the Veľká Fatra National Park. Therefore, in addition to the hike, you also need to plan a place to spend the night. You can use the mountain hotel at Kráľova studňa, Chata pod Borišovom, the Military Convalescent Home in Smrekovica, or you can use the huts or places designated for this purpose. These are described in more detail and displayed in the Visitor Regulations of the Veľká Fatra National Park. There are several educational trails in the territory of the Veľká Fatra, which provide visitors with interesting information not only about the National Park in general, but also about the area in which they are located. Among the most visited is the Educational Trail along the Ridge of the Veľká Fatra and in the Gaderská Valley the trail leading to Blatnica Castle.
Especially the Bralná part attracts many rock climbers with its rock formations. Here, too, it should be remembered not to violate the visiting rules.
Tourists are also attracted by the only accessible cave in the Veľká Fatra, the Harmanecká Cave, or the picturesque Vlkolínec with the best preserved folk architecture and the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List.
Winter hiking is also one of the most popular in the Veľká Fatra. However, it is limited only to periods when there is no avalanche danger. The Veľká Fatra is one of the most avalanche prone areas in Slovakia, especially in the area of Ploská, Krížná and Ostredek.
The most popular ski resorts are Donovaly, Jasenská dolina, Malino Brdo, Turecká.
More detailed information can be found in the document on the NPVF Visitor Rules and its protection zone.
What should not be forgotten before the hike, what should be included in a first aid kit for the mountains and how to provide first aid read here.
A map with marked hiking trails can be found here: https://mapy.hiking.sk/?ref
