Kubínska hoľa, in the Orava region of northern Slovakia, is worth a trip in summer too, not just in the ski season. I enjoyed the mountain trikes the most, and I’d also recommend the Tarzania rope park, the cycling routes, hiking and the nature trail. The easiest way to get here is by car via Dolný Kubín, and you can stay right by the slope.
I wrote this article in 2018. Back then I came to Kubínska hoľa on a media familiarisation trip (a FAM trip). Prices, opening hours and connections may have changed since then, so check them before you go.
What can you do at Kubínska hoľa in summer? Here’s my list of tips: what to try, where to go and what not to miss in the summer season. I’m also adding the hotel where I stayed and a few tips for good hiking and cycling routes.
What to do at Kubínska hoľa: hiking and adrenaline
How to get to Kubínska hoľa
- By car via Dolný Kubín. Google Maps will get you here without any trouble.
- By train to Ružomberok, then by bus to Dolný Kubín, and from there probably by taxi up to Kubínska hoľa. In winter there’s a ski bus (SKIBUS).
Where to stay at Kubínska hoľa: right on the slope
I stayed right by the slope at Hotel Green, two minutes’ walk from the chairlift. I recommend the hotel restaurant: the food is excellent, and so are the wellness area and the saunas. I’ve also written a separate review of Hotel Green. If you want to stay right on the slope at Kubínska, with a great view of the area, Hotel Green is the place.
What Hotel Green at Kubínska hoľa offers:
- several types of rooms (pets are welcome too, in 2026 for a surcharge of €30 a night),
- its own restaurant with a terrace overlooking the area,
- a wellness area with three different saunas and a hot tub,
- half board and mini golf.
Hiking, cycling routes and the nature trail at Kubínska hoľa
In summer, Kubínska hoľa has plenty of options for hiking and cycling. There are several hiking trails and a nature trail too. Because of the bad weather I didn’t do much hiking, but I took the chairlift to the top of Kubínska hoľa and enjoyed the view. I met quite a few cyclists while I was there, so the marked bike trails are clearly popular. There’s an overview of the cycling routes on the resort’s website, which also has hiking tips.
Puchmajerová Pond
What’s that? When I asked my followers on Instagram what to see at Kubínska hoľa, many of them recommended Puchmajerová Pond (Puchmajerovej jazierko). It’s a small peat bog in the Oravská Magura hills, about 6 m deep, surrounded mostly by marshes and peat bogs. It’s named after the Czech botanist Marie Puchmajerová, who did research here in 1942. It’s also known as Morské Oko. The pond is in a protected area, and I heard you can only go there with a guide.
The nature trail takes you past a series of stops where you learn about the local wildlife and plants, and also about an avalanche that came down here about 50 years before my visit. I’d already heard a thing or two about how harsh winters in Orava can be. The trail is where I learned about Puchmajerová Pond, and it has eight stops over 3.6 km in total. So it’s more of a stroll. Halfway along the trail there’s a lake where you can even go boating. Note to self: next time, stay in Orava longer.
Mountain trikes at Kubínska hoľa
If you’re after adrenaline, try the mountain trikes at Kubínska hoľa. I tried this one, and I’m still not sure all my organs are back where they belong.
Riding a trike down forest tracks is real fun. At times I felt I wouldn’t be able to brake in time. I’d take the bends slowly, but not so slowly that the trike stops. That’s exactly what happened to me on a flatter stretch, and I had to push it to the next slope. When I was there, the trikes started from the top station of the chairlift and you could ride halfway or all the way down. In the 2026 season you can only ride the lower section, about 2 km. You hire the trike at the lower station and take the lower chairlift up to the start, and a chairlift ticket including trike hire costs €25 for adults.
Tarzania rope park at Kubínska hoľa
Tarzania is right behind Hotel Green, where I stayed. I’ve tried similar rope parks here and there around Slovakia and the world, and they’re always great fun. In my experience, the parts that look easiest are usually the hardest. This Tarzania has a challenging section for adults and an easier one for kids.
Getting through all the stages (selfies included) took me about 45 minutes, and my muscles ached afterwards. I’ll definitely be back for another go. I wear flip-flops pretty much everywhere in summer, so I was saved by my gym trainers, which I happened to have in the car. I wouldn’t have made it without them. Barefoot, maybe?
The chairlift to Kubínska hoľa and the SKI PARK
As I mentioned above, the chairlift to Kubínska hoľa runs in summer too. If you don’t feel like slogging uphill on the trail, or the weather is bad (as it was for me), you can ride up instead. I’ve always been a big fan of chairlifts, even though I’m not much of a skier.
I’d turn round a few times on the way up: the view is seriously good. The chairlift has two sections: roughly halfway up you change to the second one, or carry on on foot.
In summer 2026, besides the chairlift, the trikes and Tarzania, the resort also has a 1,234-metre zipline, a bike park with four trails and the Srdiečkovo kids’ park. You’ll find current prices in the price list on the resort’s website.
I’d always associated Kubínska hoľa with winter only, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much you can do here in summer. I love being outdoors, and you’re more likely to find me in a forest than on a beach, so I felt right at home here. My favourite was definitely the trike. I’ll do it again for sure, and next time I’ll also try the summer cinema and walk the whole nature trail.
A Slovak travel blogger who has been getting Slovaks out of their office chairs since 2013. Author of the book Influencer and founder of the Bez Mapy blog.
