Volunteers open the first shelter on Orava.
While there are plenty of shelters for hikers on the Polish side of the hills, they are missing on the Slovak side. A group of hiking enthusiasts decided to breathe life into the abandoned cabin under the transmitter, turning it into an emergency shelter. The first shelter in Orava is even located on the international long-distance route that goes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea.
The building on Magurka Hill (1,100 m above sea level) is more than 50 years old. At first it provided accommodation for the workers who built the transmitter, later serving the workers for recreation. It had been decaying for more than ten years.
"As a hiker, I passed it many times and it always occurred to me that there was an opportunity for a buffet or shelter," said Miroslav Benian, chairman of the civic association Beskydy Without Borders.
