The Kľak hill in Malá Fatra mountains is a popular destination of hikers. (source: Jana Liptáková)
Back in 2017, a group of far-right extremists prompted a wave of jokes after they climbed the wrong hill. Instead of the iconic Kriváň peak in the High Tatras, climbed by Ľudovít Štúr and other significant Slovak nationalists, they climbed Veľký Kriváň, the highest hill in the Malá Fatra mountains. A similar mistake is imminent if you decide to climb Kľak, as there are three hills with this name in Slovakia.
The best known is Kľak hill in the Malá Fatra, known by its distinctive rocky nose. Another Kľak is in the neighbouring mountain range of Veľká Fatra, while even their heights are similar – 1,352 and 1,394 metres above sea level, respectively. To climb the third Kľak, the highest one, 1,409 metres above sea level, you should head to the Slovenské Rudohorie mountains in central Slovakia.
Find out more about region of folklore, national parks and modern attractions in our Žilina Region Travel Guide. CLICKABLE IMAGE. (source: Spectacular Slovakia)
Never before had I scaled Kľak hill in the Malá Fatra, even though I had been in this area of Slovakia several times. Thus, when the TK Jamp, a group of enthusiastic tourists, announced that it has been organising a bus trip to Kľak, I immediately registered. The advantage of their trips, apart from sharing the company of the same aficionados, is that the bus always picks hikers up at a different place. They do not need to return to the starting point of the hike.
This was the case of the Kľak hike. It started in Fačkovské Sedlo saddle and ended in Rajecká Lesná, a small distinctive pilgrimage village. It is famous for its Bethlehem, a large nativity scene carved from wood, as well as the Baby Jesus’s Christmas post office. Children can write him about what they dream of finding under the Christmas tree.
