Route 3 – CELTIC PILGRIMAGE

Total length: 14,35 km
Height a.s.l: 176 / -176
Bike time: 02:00

Bešeňová – Bešeňová´s Travertine – Potok – Bobrovník – Tvarožná – Havránok – a dam wall – Vlachy – Vlašky – Bešeňová

This very nice medium demanding bike trail along the dam Liptovská Mara starts in Bešeňová. Bešeňová is a not very big village famouse for thermal springs and a water park. There are fourteen unique springs rich in minerals around Bešeňová. In the surroundings you will find Bešeňová Travertine – precipitated freshwater limestone. It is an abandoned quarry, located several hundred meters north of the village. Constant stream of mineral water is flowing down giving stone cascades, loaves and platforms beautiful shine. These springs are still active and the travertine is constantly shaped with highly mineralized water. This water contains calcium, magnesium, sulfur and iron. That is why they are beautifully colored. The travertine is located just next to the road and without studying them you can easy understand the process of travertine. Gas, occasionally bursting out of the travertine lake, draws attention. It is definitely worth seeing it and tasting the water.

Continue towards the villages of Potok and Bobrovník and pass the village of Tvarožná. Stop for a while to admire the dam Liptovská Mara and follow the path along the Hotel Bobrovník. You will pass by a dock. Do not forget to visit an Open-Air Archaeological Museum of Celtic Culture „Havránok“. Havránok is one of the oldest cultural monuments in the region of Liptov. It was declared a cultural monument in 1967. It is an archaeological site, a settlement from the Iron Age (300-100 BC). Visitors can get acquainted with dwellings, a sacrificial ground, an oven and various objects used by original inhabitants – the Celts. The Celts at Havránok sacrificed animals and also humans. Hhuman bones found by archaeologists on the sacrificial ground are the proof. The examination of Havránok takes about 30 minutes.

You can also take a break on a dam wall and enjoy the amazing view of Liptovská Mara and the beauties of Liptov nature – over Mt Chopok and Mt Kriváň. It is described as the longest dam wall in Slovakia. From there, you will get to the village of Vlachy. There you will find a very impressive Renaissance castle from the 16^th century and when you continue to the village of Vlašky, which history dates back to 1391, you will find the remains of a water mill. At the end of your trip we recommend that you visit the water park Gino Paradise Bešeňová. It is an ideal place to recharge lost energy and vitality. You can enjoy thermal pools, whirlpools, massage jets, water slides, saunas, restaurants and many other attractions.