Introduction

Welcome   Introduction   Mountain Streams   Fauna and Flora   Natura 2000   Forrest   Abiotic Nature

                                         ŠOP SR    NP Malá Fatra   Rajec   Návrat rysov

 

Welcome to Šútovská valley.

The Malá Fatra Mts. National Park belongs to the high mountain ranges of Slovakia with very rich and well-preserved western Carpathian nature. The varied geological composition and broken relief determine the richness of plant and animal species. The national park belongs to the most valuable landscapes in Slovakia. The area lies in the north-western part of the Western Carpathians. This National Park has an extraordinary position within the system of protected areas in Slovakia as well as in Carpathians. It is the western most National park within the frame of the whole Carpathian arc. It is characterized by a diverse relief, and geological and climatic variety. Natural ecosystems with high diversity of plant and animal communities typical for Western Carpathians are preserved in the National park, and thus also in the Šútovská valley. Endemits (species which do not occur anywhere else) evolved under the specific natural conditions. There also live relic species which, presently, have only limited island-like occurrence, although in previous geological times they were wide-spread on large areas. It is the western-most stronghold with original and relatively well-preserved ecosystems in which basic ecological and evolutionary processes are maintained. This bio-corridor as an eco-stabilizing element of supranational importance has a special importance for central European and western European industrialized landscape. From this region the western Carpathian species can spread to the adjacent localities, especially to localities situated west of Slovakia. Since 1967 the area was declared a protected landscape area. Due to the extreme natural values it was declared the Malá Fatra Mts. National Park in 1988 under the Governmental order of the Government of the Slovak Socialist Republic No. 24/1988 Coll. Because of this, the Krivánska Malá Fatra Mts. belongs to the oldest large scale protected areas in Slovakia with an area of 22 630 hectares.


Basic information about the educational trail

County: Žilina, districts: Martin and Dolný Kubín

Protected area: Malá Fatra Mts. National Park, 3rd degree of the protection, National nature reserve Šútovská dolina valley, 5th degree of the protection.

Starting point: 500 a.s.l., position: GPS N - 49˚ 09’ 21,76” 0E - 19˚ 05’ 20,85”

Summer path: Šútovo village part Rieka,  Šútovská valley, Šútovský waterfall (822 a.s.l.), Mojžišove springs (1 140 a.s.l.), Cottage under the Mt. Chleb (1 423 a.s.l), Snilovské sedlo saddleback

(1 524 a.s.l.).

Walking time approx. 4,5 hours

Winter path: Šútovo village part Rieka, Šútovská valley, Šútovský waterfall (822 a.s.l.).

Walking time approx. 1,5 hours

Length: summer path - 8,81 km, winter path - 3.77 km

Superelevation of the path: in the summer - 1 024 m, in the winter - 322 m

Severity of the terrain: summer path: modest, winter path: 150 m below the Šútovský waterfall turn left and follow the blue mark to the Cottage under Mt. Chleb (GPS N - 49˚ 10’ 51,82” 0E - 19˚ 02’ 58,08”)

CHALLENGING, NOT MAINTAINED DURING WINTER!

Number of stops: 6 (Introduction, Mountain Streams, Fauna and Flora, Natura 2000, Forrest, Abiotic Nature)

Focus of the trail: natural-educational with focus of landscape protection


Spolupracovali:

Tomáš Hulík, Miloš Majda, Miloš Majda ml., Andrej Zahradník, Daniel Podbrežný,

Zuzana Pánisová, Peter Cáder,

Anna Dobošová

Photo: Tomáš Hulík

PhotogalleryPhotos_introduction.html