Donovaly is a holiday resort and ski resort in Velka Fatra. Park Snow Donovaly is located here, and in summer the surrounding mountains offer an extensive network of hiking trails.
In the past, the town was a center of charcoal burning and copper smelting. Until the interwar period, it did not play a major role in the area. It was only in the 1930s that the advantages of the Donovals began to be noticed. Situated at the foot of the Great Fatra and the Old Hory Mountains, the village was perfect for relaxation and mountain hiking.
During World War II, numerous partisan units operated in the area, which in 1944 joined the fights with Germany as part of the Slovak Uprising. A trail ran through Donovaly, along which the partisans evacuated to the mountains, especially to the nearby Low Tatras. At present, it is reminded of this by the partisan trail which is the main route that crosses the Great Fatra and the Low Tatras.
Today's Donovaly is primarily a holiday resort with numerous guesthouses, apartments and hotels. Some old wooden buildings have been preserved in the center, but most of the houses now have guest houses. In winter, the Snow Donovaly Park operates on the slopes of Zvolnia and Nova Hola. In summer, you can use the gravity slide. The summer attraction of Donovaly is the fairy-tale Habakuky amusement park. The village can also be a base for hiking in Velka Fatra and the Low Tatras.
