The enchanted Vratna Valley is an ideal winter and summer sport destination. Skier and snowboarders will find everything from well-groomed beginner slopes to challenging expert descents. Ski alpinists will enjoy some of the best off-piste terrain in Slovakia. Families will enjoy the excellent learning and sledding facilities at Tizinka. Located in the Krivan section of the Mala Fatra National Park in Northern Slovakia, Vratna is just 25 kilometers from Zilina – a major transportation hub with good rail, road, and air connections.

SKI CENTRE VRÁTNA

- 5 areas: Paseky, Poludňový Grúň, Príslop, Tížinka, Chleb
- snow guarantee: 120 days (season 2004/2005 - 127 days)
  - more than 120,000 visitors in wintertime (season 2004/2005)
- 14 surface lifts + 2 gondolas (4-chairlift, 8-person high-speed gondola), total uphill capacity in wintertime: 10,454 persons-per-hour.
- New 8-person high-speed gondola with year-round service!!!
- 17 ski trails with a total length of 10.6 kilometers
- 9 trails are covered by snowmaking guns: area of Poludňový Grúň, Paseky, Príslop and Tížinka night skiing (Paseky base)
- terrain park covered by snowmaking guns with the jumps and boardercross course with own ski lift.
- Cross-country skiing trails - chata Vrátna (4km), Štefanová (6km), Podžiar (8km)
- sledding – Tížinka, Pavlove lúky
- new learning children´s area at Tížinka base
- skialpinism on The Malá Fatra ridge
- a place of the ski competitions and attractive events like European cup of FIS in downhill skiing, Inter Ski Kriterium, snowboard and freeride races.

NOVELTIES IN VRATNA FOR THE 2005/06 WINTER SEASON

1. The New VRÁTNA – CHLEB 8-Seat Cabin Lift The new cabin lift to the Chleb Mountain will have an incline of 750 m, it will be almost 2 km long and it is planned to start to operate at the beginning of January 2006.

2. The CHLEB area – Oštiepková mulda Is Accessible Again - The new lift to the Chleb Mountain will make this area together with Oštiepková mulda accessible again for the general public. Both ski-lifts will be operating and the slopes will be treated technically on a regular basis.

3. Children’s Area, Skating Rink and New Artificial Snow at Tížinka - A new children’s area is built on the Tížinka slope, There is a skiing kindergarten for children, refreshment facilities and a brand new and very popular attraction snowtubing and a skating rink. Artificial snowing at the Tížinka area has been built up to cover the whole skiing area.

4. Info Centres and an Internet Café in Terchová The new info centre in the heart of Terchová village offers you a prompt and convenient way of buying skipasses as well as the first Internet Café in Terchová in the range of 30 km. Another info centre directly under the Paseky hill gives you not only the opportunity to get a skipass, but it will provide you with reliable information about events and operation of ski-lifts at the Ski Centre Vrátna.

5. Refreshment Directly on the Slopes New snack-bars Od Šavla do Pavla.... and a renowned Humno snack-bar next to the Paseky lift station has got brand new interiors, a grill and a partially covered terrace.

6. Shuttle Traffic within the Whole Vrátna Valley!!! Shuttle traffic connections throughout the Vrátna Valley will be available in regular time intervals, connecting Chleb, Paseky, Príslop ski resorts with the villages of Štefanová and Terchová, making you enjoy perfectly your time for sporting.

7. Skibus from Žilina City A skibus departing from the SAD Žilina bus station will be available on weekends, holidays and school-holidays in the Žilina Region

8. Reconstructed Hotel Boboty*** Hotel Boboty enters the season with a new fasade. Also planned is a reconstruction of its congress rooms and swimming pool, as well as the construction of a water world and a modern bowling alley.

NÁRODNÝ PARK MALÁ FATRA

Vrátna – Malá Fatra
The Mala Fatra ridge is ideal for ski alpinists and hikers. Velky Krivan and Poludnovy Grun offer breathtaking views not only of the Vratna Valley, but also of the Wester and Low Tatras, the Velka Fatra and Lucanska Mala Fatra. Opening December 2005, a new 8-person high-speed gondola will transport you from Chata Vratna (750 m) to a new gondola station (1500 m) just below the summit of Velky Krivan (1709 m).

Vrátna – Terchová
„Stop! Give your soul to God and your money to me!“ This was the way tha folk hero Juraj Janosik often greeted rich nobles. According to legend, this Slovak Robin Hood was born in nearby Terchova and operated from the rocky clifs of Vratna. Today, Terchova is proud of his huge statue, which stands above the village. Each year, a popular folk festival called Janosikove Dni (Janosik´s Days) takes place in Terchova on the first weekend in August to celebrate is life and exploits.

Vrátna – Malá Fatra v lete
Tha Mala Fatra National Park offers a wide range of activities for summer tourists. The park has over 72 kilometers of hiking trails, including a scenig ridge walk accessible by a nwe high-speed gondola. Tha region also has a many excellent bike routes on roads as well as paths. Horseback rides will find a wide variety of terrain. Rafters will enjoy the Orava and Vah rivers.

Vrátna – Diery
To view of the region´s attractive rock formations, we recommend tha interpretive trail from Hotel Boboty to the Podziar Saddle and the Horne Diery. The trail ends under the legendary Mt. Rozsutec. It´s a thrilling journey accessible to anyone of average fitness.