Stankovany – Šíp, Springs and Historic Sites

Šíp is the highest peak of the Šípska Fatra. The ascent follows a ridge with rock formations, mountain meadows and preserved forest, offering views of the surrounding landscape.

Nature

The Šíp area covers 302 hectares and has been designated a national nature reserve because of the presence of rare plant and animal species. Thus, alongside the peak itself, a clearly delineated natural area is also central to the landscape around Stankovany.

Routes and Distances

Stankovany is served by passenger trains on the main railway line. The ascent of Šíp is classified as moderately difficult. Steep sections are unsuitable for small children; otherwise, the hike is considered suitable for children.

Those planning the circular hike to Šíp from Stankovany will find specific route details: it is 11.1 kilometres long, includes 775 metres of ascent and descent respectively, and takes 4.25 hours.

Every year on the last Sunday in April, an ascent of Šíp takes place. In Podšíp, the programme includes folk music, draft beer or Kofola, as well as goulash.

Podšíp can be reached from Stankovany via a blue-marked cycling route and a green-marked hiking trail. The green-marked hiking trail from Stankovany to Podšíp passes the Chapel of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Podšíp is accessible only on foot or by bicycle; motorised visitors cannot reach the location.

A blue-marked cycling route also leads from Stankovany along a paved road to the Močiar Nature Reserve. A longer route runs from Stankovany via Ľubochňa into the Ľubochnianska Valley. It is up to 29 kilometres in each direction, has an elevation difference of 180 metres, and initially follows asphalt before continuing over a dirt road for the final kilometres.

Culture and History

Stankovská izba is a small municipal museum with old work tools, furniture and household objects. Visitors are welcome there, but they should announce their visit at the municipal office.

The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a cruciform floor plan, attached chapels and a 38-metre-high tower with a pyramidal roof. Inside are an altar, statues and Stations of the Cross from the Tyrolean carving workshop of Ferdinand Stuflesser. The building is historicist Neo-Gothic and dates from 1898 to 1901; it also features twenty modern stained-glass windows by Ladislav Záborský.

The Chapel of the Seven Sorrows of Mary was built in 1832 out of gratitude for the community’s survival of a cholera epidemic. In 1991, a heritage zone was designated in Podšíp. Around six houses with outbuildings have been preserved there, built in the traditional log construction style from round or hewn beams.

Springs and Močiar

The Mädokýš pod lesom spring lies about 2 kilometres west of Stankovany and can be reached on foot via a forest path. It is covered by a small wooden shelter and is used by hikers for drinking.

The Sírny prameň spring lies about 1 kilometre west of Stankovany beside the railway line. It too is easily accessible via a forest path.

The Močiar Nature Reserve lies in the immediate vicinity of Stankovany, beside the railway line. At the edge of this nature reserve is the Sírny medokýš spring, where visitors can draw mineral water.

There is also a travertine formation designated as a natural monument in the vicinity of Stankovany. Its crater contains a mineral spring, while a circular lake lies at its summit. The spring does not dry up or freeze over; it is also used by people from the surrounding area.

A reconstructed mineral spa is also located in the vicinity of Stankovany and is used for bathing on warm summer days.

Other Places

For further orientation, you can also include the places Likavka, Liptovská Teplá, Liptovske Sliace, Hubová, Kalameny, Liptovske Revuce, Ludrová and Lisková.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Ružomberok.