The Administration of Veľká Fatra National Park will transform an old forester’s lodge in Gaderská Valley into a modern environmental education centre.
The national park acquired the Žihľavná forester’s lodge through a transfer from the state enterprise LESY Slovenskej republiky in 2022. Thanks to its advantageous location at the entrance to the most visited valley in Veľká Fatra, the national park administration intended from the outset to transform it into an attractive visitor centre. “It’s an ideal place to build the national park’s visitor centre and environmental education centre, which will provide services for visitors. We believe that visiting it will be an experience that sparks the desire to discover the nature of Veľká Fatra,” said Katarína Belešová, Acting Director of the Administration of Veľká Fatra National Park.
Žihľavná forester’s lodge below Blatnica Castle. PHOTO: NPVF
The visitor centre will provide practical information about the national park’s nature for various target groups, information on options for moving along hiking trails using various audiovisual techniques and a 3D model of the area. It will also offer guiding services, lectures, and comfortable seating. Upstairs there will be facilities for the staff operating the visitor centre. The eco-education centre will provide space for training sessions and workshops for approximately 50 people. The training room will be wheelchair-accessible and equipped with audiovisual technology for educational programmes, talks, and expert lectures.
The author of the architectural design is Ing. arch. Peter Podoba: “The goal was to create architecture in the heart of Gaderská Valley that doesn’t shout, but listens to nature. The massing and spatial concept of the eco-education centre is deliberately designed so it doesn’t compete with the breathtaking views. Thanks to neutral shapes and a living, grass-covered roof, the building blends perfectly into its surroundings.”
The centre will not only educate about ecology, but will itself be its embodiment. “Every detail and technology prove that modern buildings can operate in absolute respect for the planet. The heart of the building is a solid timber structure made of laminated panels. They are joined by pure mechanical force without a drop of chemicals or adhesives, reducing the carbon footprint by an incredible 60%. What’s more, it’s exceptional ‘moon wood’ felled in precise harmony with natural cycles, making it denser, harder, and ready to withstand the whims of the weather. Thermal comfort will be ensured by an eco-friendly heat pump, and the sustainable loop will be closed by recycling greywater from sinks, which will get a second chance when flushing toilets,” added architect Peter Podoba.
Visualisations: ARCHITEKTONICKÝ ATELIER PODOBA s.r.o.
The contractor, LIFEstav s.r.o. from Bitarová, took over the construction site on Wednesday, 24 June 2026. The contract price will reach €2,578,010 incl. VAT, and the completion deadline is set for 31 May 2028.
The Žihľavná Eco-Education Centre will be created thanks to the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme under the support measure “Support for sustainable tourism and strengthening biodiversity in protected areas”, co-financed from the second Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme.
