A newly upgraded route leads towards Kráľova hoľa, one of Slovakia’s iconic peaks. (source: My Novohrad - Marcela Ballová)
A remote forest road winding through central Slovakia’s Horehronie region has quietly undergone a transformation that local leaders hope will lift the area onto Europe’s cycling map – and out of long-standing economic obscurity.
The newly upgraded route leads towards Kráľova hoľa, one of Slovakia’s iconic peaks. Long accessible only to hikers or mountain bikers, the road has now been surfaced to accommodate road cyclists, who until now had no feasible way to climb the mountain.
“This is a model project – not just because of where it is, but because it shows how cooperation and vision can bring real change,” said Ondrej Lunter, governor of the Banská Bystrica Region, at the route’s official opening on 20 June.
The forest road is perfect for cyclists. (source: My Novohrad - Marcela Ballová)
The six-kilometre section, rebuilt at a cost of more than €1 million, was jointly funded by the EU-backed Agricultural Payment Agency, the Šumiac municipality, and regional authorities. (source: My Novohrad - Marcela Ballová)
The six-kilometre section, rebuilt at a cost of more than €1 million, was jointly funded by the EU-backed Agricultural Payment Agency, the Šumiac municipality, and regional authorities. Work was completed in time for the inaugural Kráľovská časovka – a mountain time trial that is now central Europe’s longest.
Local officials have dubbed the project “Slovakia’s Mont Ventoux”, referencing the famed Tour de France climb. But beyond branding, the hope is that the route will bring real economic momentum. Young people have long left Horehronie for work abroad. Officials see cycling tourism as a way to slow that exodus, boost small businesses, and reframe the region as more than just a quiet weekend escape.
The idea came not from Brussels or Bratislava, but from local entrepreneurs and guides. “They knew what was missing,” Lunter said. “And they kept pushing.”
Future phases will include resurfacing the final stretch to the summit. Once complete, the trail will be the highest paved cycling climb in central and eastern Europe.
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