Information

Transport

How to get to Vlkolínec from Ružomberok

By car:

By car, you can get as far as the parking lot at the entry to Vlkolínec. You start from Ružomberok along road no. 59 (E77) heading south (direction to Banská Bystrica). About 6 km away from Ružomberok, you will enter the district area of Biely Potok, and you will be passing by “Vlčí Dvor” restaurant on the right. Right after the restaurant, you turn right, you cross the bridge over the Revúca River and then you turn right again. After 300 meters, you take a left turn at the replica of the Vlkolínec bell tower, and the road through the Trlenská Valley will lead you to your destination. There are traffic signs placed along the entire route, which will help you navigate.
There is a speed limit in the section from the Trlenská Valley to Vlkolínec, as the road is narrow and there are tourists walking or riding bikes, so pay attention to them.
Visitors to Vlkolínec are not allowed to enter the village itself with motor vehicles!

Private coach (organized groups):

With a private coach, you can get as far as the parking lot in the Trlenská Valley, from where buses are not allowed to continue any further.
Visitors have to pass the rest of the route on foot or they can use transportation in the form of cars for nine passengers, which need to be booked in advance.
1. A walk along the access road: Starting at the parking lot, it takes about 15 minutes to get to Vlkolínec along the access road. The route is about 1.1 km long and there is one roofed resting area along the way. Along the route, you can see two wells and you will get a view of the Great Fatra in the last curve.
2. A walk along Hôrka trail: From the parking lot, you continue on the road to Vlkolínec, passing by a well, and at the place where the road runs over the creek, you get off the road (to the right), entering the Hôrka Valley. The trail leads us through the valley along the creek, all the way to Vlkolínec. Along the trail, you will see educational boards and a restored hay barn. There are also benches for those who need to rest. This option also takes about 15 minutes, plus a little more if you study the educational boards, and its length is 0.8 km.
3. Using transportation: Look at “Using transportation from the parking lot in the Trlenská Valley below Vlkolínec”.

Using transportation from the parking lot in the Trlenská Valley below Vlkolínec:

As buses are prohibited to take the visitors all the way to the entry to Vlkolínec because of the prohibition of bus traffic in the section with a steep rise and unsuitable conditions for buses, there are nine-passenger cars available for the visitors who want a ride directly to Vlkolínec.
If interested, contact Mr. Bradiak at phone number + 421 915 161 799 in advance. There is a fee for the ride.

By taxi:

You can also get to Vlkolínec from the centre of Ružomberok using a taxi service. Vlkolínec is situated 11 km away from the centre of Ružomberok and prices for the ride (one way) range from 15 to 20 €, depending on which service you use.

On a bike:

There are three marked bike trails passing directly through Vlkolínec, which you can use to get to Vlkolínec from three directions.
1. Through the Trlenská Valley: From the train (bus) station, we follow red-marked bike trail number 006 across the Váh river. After a while, we cross another bridge over the Revúca river, after which we continue along red-marked bike trail number 033. After crossing the bridge over the Revúca river again, there is an educational bike trail running simultaneously with ours, called „Cyklokorytnička“, which we leave at the model of Vlkolínec bell tower at the entry to the Trlenská Valley. From here, we continue along yellow-marked bike trail number 8419, which will lead us to Vlkolínec. The surface along the trail consists of asphalt roads and pavements and its length is 10.4 km.
This option is the easiest one, with the smallest vertical distance, suitable also for road bikes. However, it runs on local roads with regular traffic.
2. Below Krkavá Rock: From the train (bus) station, we follow red-marked bike trail number 006 across the Váh river. After a while, we cross another bridge over the Revúca river, after which we continue along red-marked bike trail number 033. Before the bridge where the red-marked bike trail crosses the bridge, we turn right onto green-marked trail number 5422. This trail leads us below “Gejdák” Guest House, where the asphalt road ends and changes to a gravel-paved road, which leads through meadows, past Krkava Rock, to Vlkolínec. The surface of the route with the length of 7.2 km is 4 km of asphalt road and 3.2 km of paved road.
This option is a bit more difficult, with larger vertical distance, it is not suitable for road bikes. The section from “Gejdák” Guest House is a traffic-free road.
3. Through Vlkolínec meadows: From the train (bus) station, we follow red-marked bike trail number 006 across the Váh river. After a while, we cross another bridge over the Revúca river, after which we continue to the right, along blue-marked bike trail number 2418. The trail leads us along Ružomberok’s Calvary into the woods. At the place where we exit the woods, we get off the asphalt road onto a paved field road. After a short while, we are approaching the farm below Sidorovo hill, at which we get off the blue trail and we continue along a non-paved field road / footpath to the top of the Vlkolínec meadows, along yellow-marked bike trail number 8419. The descent to Vlkolínec consists of a paved road / footpath. In this section, you need to get off the bike and in order to be safe, push the bike in the final steepest section to Vlkolínec. The surface of the route with the length of 7.2 km is 5.5 km of asphalt road and 1.7 km of paved and unpaved field road.
This option is more difficult, with the largest vertical distance, it is not suitable for road bikes. The section from Calvary to Vlkolínec meadows consists of a road with permission-based traffic (the road leads to Malinô Brdo resort) and the section form Vlkolínec meadows consists of a traffic-free field road / footpath.
Riding bikes is prohibited inside Vlkolínec, therefore you need to push your bike in the village! On all the routes, keep in mind that you need to observe the traffic rules and the fact that pedestrian tourists have the right of way over the cyclists.

On foot:

Vlkolínec can be accessed by various hiking, educational or unmarked paths and trails of various length and difficulty.
1. Through the Trlenská Valley from Biely Potok: The route through the Trlenská Valley leads along the access road to Vlkolínec. For the most part, the route is marked with bike-trail marking.
We can begin the route in two ways:
a,) From the local public transport bus stop called „Biely Potok“, to which we get by bus of the public transport system from Ružomberok.
After getting off the bus, we follow the road which leads in the direction away from the town, in front of the family houses (parallel to the main road). After passing by the last house, there is a bridge for pedestrians, which we use to cross the Revúca river, and after that we turn right. Continuation is the same for both options.
b,) From the Slovak public transport bus stop called „Ružomberok,Biely Potok,Trlenská dolina“, to which we get by an intercity coach from Ružomberok.
After getting off the bus, we follow the road which disconnects from the main road. After a few meters, we cross the bridge over the Revúca river, after which we turn right. Continuation is the same for both options.
We continue all the way to the place where we see a model of the Vlkolínec bell tower. We turn left and after a few meters, we cross a bridge. We continue through the Trlenská Valley, where, in the initial section, we see a well with water, and later we see educational boards about local attractions. At the place where the road is turning right, there is a resting area and more educational boards. We keep following the road, and about 300 m after the resting area, at the place where we are crossing a small bridge, we get two options of continuation.
a,) Along “Hôrka” trail: at the above-mentioned point you get off the road (to the right), to Hôrka Valley. The trail leads us through the valley along the creek, all the way to Vlkolínec. Along the trail, you will see educational boards and a restored hay barn. There are also benches for those who need to rest.
b,) Along the access road: we continue further along the road, next to which there will be another well, and a little bit further, a roofed resting point. In the last curve before Vlkolínec, we get a view of the Great Fatra.
2. Following the yellow mark from Biely Potok: The route leads from district part Biely Potok along a steep rising path to a point above Vlkolínec, from where it falls down to Vlkolínec. The route follows a yellow-marked hiking trail.
We begin the route in district part Biely Potok at the local public transport bus stop called ”Pri moste“ / Slovak public transport bus stop called ”Ružomberok,Biely Potok,pri moste“, to which we get by a bus of the local public transport system or by an intercity bus from Ružomberok.
We follow the yellow-marked hiking trail and cross the bridge over the Revúca river and then continue to the end of the street. We turn right, and after a few meters, we turn left onto a slope in between the houses. After the last house on the left side, we turn left and get onto a meadow, where we get views of the surroundings. We continue up the meadow to the woods. There is a path running through the woods, which will lead us to a small meadow inside the woods with a sitting area and feeders for animals (they are hidden in the woods). We continue slightly to the left onto a natural path, which will lead us to a meadow below Sidorovo hill. We cross the meadow to get onto a paved road leading us to the left. We get views of the surroundings along the road, and after a while, we arrive in Vlkolínec.
3. Following the green mark from the centre of Ružomberok: The route leads from Ružomberok along an old path called “Kráľovská Cesta” (Royal Route), running below Sidorovo hill to a point above Vlkolínec, from where it falls down to Vlkolínec. For the most part, the route follows a green-marked hiking trail.
We begin the route in the centre of the town, in front of the Municipal Office building, by the Marian column. Following the green-marked hiking trail, we are passing through a linden tree garden by the Jesuit church, until we get to an intersection, where we turn left. We continue passing by the family houses and apartment buildings in the residential area called “Baničné”, and when we pass by the last apartment building at „Cesta na Vlkolínec“ Street, we turn left, and through a gravel road by the garden settlement, we get onto an asphalt road. We turn right and the road will lead us below “Gejdák” Guest House. We do not head towards the guest house, but continue along the paved road. We are passing by another garden settlement, by the woods, through the meadows, all the way to a natural monument called “Krkava Rock”, where we see an educational board and a resting area. Here we are offered two options of continuation.
a,) On a bike trail: From “Krkava Rock”, we continue following the road to the meadows, from where we walk down to Vlkolínec. This option is the easy one, with views of the surroundings.
b,) On a hiking trail: A few meters after “Krkava Rock”, we turn right onto a footpath, which leads us through the woods to a place above Vlkolínec. Along the path, we get occasional partial views of Vlkolínec and its surroundings. We continue until we get to a gravel road, where we turn left (downhill). At this place, we move to a yellow-marked hiking trail, along which we walk down to Vlkolínec. This option is a bit more difficult, as we are climbing higher above Vlkolínec compared to the option along the road.
4. Following the blue mark from the centre of Ružomberok: The route leads from Ružomberok along the access road, which leads to Malinô Brdo. Along this road, we get to Vlkolínec meadows, from where we walk down to Vlkolínec. For the most part, the route follows a blue-marked and a yellow-marked hiking trail.
We begin the route in the centre of the town, in front of the Municipal Office building, by the Marian column. Following the blue-marked hiking trail, we are passing through a linden tree garden by the Jesuit church, towards Ružomberok’s Calvary. In between the chapels, we climb up above the Calvary, where we get a view of Ružomberok. We continue along the road to the woods, where we have two options. We can either continue along the road (blue-marked bike trail) or we can turn left onto a footpath, which runs parallel to the road. The road and the footpath will be re-joined again at the place where we get out of the woods onto Vlkolínec meadows. On Vlkolínec meadows, we get off the asphalt road to the left onto a paved road, thus leaving the blue-marked hiking trail, and we continue along the yellow-marked hiking trail. We are passing by a shelter and some educational boards as we are approaching the Farm below Sidorovo hill. At the farm, we turn left to a ridge, and, walking down the ridge past a shelter with another educational board, we get to a well (it is usually dry during summer). We continue along the gravel road, which will lead us to Vlkolínec.
5. Following the yellow mark from Hrabovo: The route leads from Hrabovo (bottom station of the cable car lift to Malinô Brdo) along the access road which leads to Malinô Brdo. Following this road, we get to Vlkolínec meadows, from where we walk down to Vlkolínec. The route follows a yellow-marked hiking trail.
There is no public transport running to Hrabovo. We can get there with our own car, by taxi, or walk from the nearest local public transport bus stop „Hrabovská cesta“, which is located approx. a 20-minute walk away.
From the parking lot in Hrabovo, we follow the road (yellow-marked hiking trail) by the huts, climbing above Ružomberok’s Calvary, where we get a view of Ružomberok. We continue on the road to the right, towards the woods, where we have two options. We can either continue along the road (blue-marked bike trail) or we can turn left onto a footpath, which runs parallel to the road. The road and the footpath will be re-joined again at the place where we get out of the woods onto Vlkolínec meadows. On Vlkolínec meadows, we get off the asphalt road to the left onto a paved road, thus leaving the blue-marked hiking trail, and we continue along the yellow-marked hiking trail. We are passing by a shelter and some educational boards as we are approaching the Farm below Sidorovo hill. At the farm, we turn left to a ridge, and walking down the ridge past a shelter with another educational board, we get to a well (it is usually dry during summer). We continue along the gravel road, which will lead us to Vlkolínec.
6. From the top station of the cable car lift at Malinô Brdo: The route is intended for those who decide to visit Vlkolínec using the cable car lift to Malinô Brdo. The route follows a blue-marked and a yellow-marked hiking trail.
There is no public transport running to the bottom station of the cable car lift in Hrabovo. We can get there with our own car, by taxi, or walk from the nearest local public transport bus stop „Hrabovská cesta“, which is located approx. a 20-minute walk away.
We ride the cable car lift from Hrabovo, the opening hours can be checked at the website of the service operator at www.skipark.sk or www.bikepark.sk. From the top station of the cable car lift at Malinô Brdo, we walk down the footpath to “Hotel Malina”, where we see a tourist signpost. We go downhill, following the blue-marked hiking trail, which leads us below rock massif “Halín”. On Vlkolínec meadows, at the place where there is another tourist signpost, we turn right and get off the asphalt road onto a paved road, thus leaving the blue-marked hiking trail, and we continue along the yellow-marked hiking trail. We are passing by a shelter and some educational boards as we are approaching the Farm below Sidorovo hill. At the farm, we turn left to a ridge, and, walking down the ridge, past a shelter with another educational board, we get to a well (it is usually dry during summer). We continue along the gravel road, which will lead us to Vlkolínec.
7. Following the red mark through Sidorovo from the centre of Ružomberok: The route leads from Ružomberok along the ridge of Sidorovo hill to its peak, from where we walk down to Vlkolínec meadows and to Vlkolínec. The route follows a red-marked and a yellow-marked hiking trail.
We begin the route in the centre of the town, in front of the Municipal Office building, by the Marian column. Following the red-marked hiking trail, we are passing through a linden tree garden by the Jesuit church, towards Ružomberok’s Calvary. In between the chapels we climb up above the Calvary, where we get a view of Ružomberok. At the tourist signpost, we turn left from the asphalt road and we walk up the meadow to the ridge. We enter the woods and the trail leads us past the location of a former jumping ramp. Approximately in the middle of our climb, we approach cliff “Veľká Skala”, which is worth visiting for its view. We continue to the top of Sidorovo hill, where we will find a viewpoint terrace with a view of Vlkolínec. From Sidorovo, we walk down a steep falling path through the woods in between the rocks, and the final section of our descent reveals a view of rocky massif “Halín”. We arrive at the ridge of Vlkolínec meadows with a tourist signpost. We continue to the left, now following the yellow-marked hiking trail, passing by a shelter with an educational panel, and we get to a well (it is usually dry in summer). We continue along the gravel road, which will lead us to Vlkolínec.
8. Following trail “Medvedia Cesta” (The Bear’s Path) from Hrabovo: An educational trail for children, which leads from Hrabovo (from the bottom station of the cable car lift to Malinô Brdo) to Vlkolínec meadows. The route is unmarked for the most part.
There is no public transport running to Hrabovo. We can get here with our own car, by taxi, or walk from the nearest local public transport bus stop „Hrabovská cesta“, which is located approx. a 20-minute walk away.
Educational trail “Medvedia Cesta” (The Bear’s Path) begins below the parking lot at the bottom station of the cable car lift, next to the bridge across the creek which flows into the water reservoir. It leads us along an asphalt road passing by apartment buildings and huts. After the final huts, we turn left onto a paved wood path, which leads us across the ski run, below the route of the cable car lift, passing by the stations where we can learn interesting facts about our largest prey animal, the brown bear. The educational trail ends on Vlkolínec meadows, by a tourist signpost and a shelter. From here, we continue along the yellow-marked hiking trail on the paved road to the Farm below Sidorovo hill. At the farm, we turn left to a ridge, and, walking down the ridge, past a shelter with an educational board, we get to a well (it is usually dry during summer). We continue along the gravel road, which will lead us to Vlkolínec.
9. Through “Uhlisko” (trail “Vtáčia Cesta”) from Biely Potok: The route through “Uhlisko” is a trail used in the past and today particularly by the people living in Vlkolínec, as it is the shortest path to Vlkolínec. The route is unmarked.
From the local public transport bus stop called „Do Uhliska“, to which we get by a bus of the local public transport system from Ružomberok, we walk across the field towards the Revúca river. At the bus stop, you will find an educational panel of the “Vtáčia Cesta” trail. We cross the bridge for pedestrians and we continue towards the road. We turn right, and after a few meters, we get off the road to the left past the family
houses. We will find the way with the help of another educational panel of the “Vtáčia Cesta” trail. After the family house on the right side, we turn right and we continue along the path by the creek. The creek leads us to a valley, through which we walk up to Vlkolínec. In the valley, we can find old hay barns and a well with water.