Malé Borové: Cycling between Skorušina and the Kvačianska Valley

Malé Borové is located on the southeastern slopes of Skorušina and in a basin in the headwaters of the Sviniarsky potok stream. This gives the village a clear natural setting for a trip combining cycling, hiking trails and regional history. The documented routes in particular make Malé Borové interesting for anyone who wants to combine an active trip through Slovakia with a lesser-known village setting.

Cycling with challenging routes

One central route option is the difficult 35.4 km MTB and trekking loop “Cycling Route through the Choč Mountains”. It runs via Kvačany, Bukovina, Malatiná, Malé Borové and Oblazy before returning to Kvačany. You should take the route length and its classification as difficult into account when planning your day. Anyone looking for a challenging cycling tour will thus have a concrete guide for choosing their holiday destination and their own equipment.

From Malé Borové, a route continues along the river through the narrow section of the Kvačianska Valley. There is also a junction of cycling routes at the turn-off to Malé Borové; this is where the Vrchárska cycling highway No. 042 begins. This information helps you distinguish between a single tour and a longer cycling plan through the surrounding area without combining the two routes into one.

Landscape and trails in the surrounding area

The surrounding area can also be included in your travel plans on foot. The water mills of Oblazy can be reached via hiking trails from Huty, Veľké Borové or Kvačany. Depending on your chosen starting point, you can therefore decide which section to include in your day’s plans.

Local history between glassworks and crafts

The history of Malé Borové dates back to a time when Borové emerged in the 17th century as a dispersed settlement through the settlement of Gorals from the Orava region. Borové is first mentioned in 1696. After 1786, Borové was divided into Malé Borové and Veľké Borové; the settlement of Novoť was incorporated into Malé Borové in 1882.

The economic development is also connected with regional activities. Borové grew up in the area around an old glassworks, and from the 18th century, itinerant glassmaking was also practised there. Since the founding of Borové, agriculture and alpine pasture farming have been among the activities of its inhabitants. Historical local crafts also included the production of sieves, flat wooden bowls known as opálky, baskets and birch brooms.

A visible connection to the more recent local history is the Church of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary in Malé Borové, which was blessed in 1952. Together with the historical information about Borové, this creates a picture of the village that can be understood not only through its landscape but also through its settlement history and crafts.

Malé Borové as a starting point for planning your trip

If you are looking for accommodation in Malé Borové, you can base your decision on your preferred type of trip: cyclists should consider the planned route and the length of the loop, while hikers can include the trails to the water mills of Oblazy in their deliberations. Those interested in cultural history will find several distinct topics for planning their trip in the divided settlement history, the old glassworks, the local crafts and the church. This makes Malé Borové more than merely a place to spend the night, without presupposing any individual accommodation offers or amenities.

Other places for your trip through Slovakia

You can also find out more about Bobrovec, Hybe, Liptovsky Mikulas, Svätý Kríž, Liptovské Matiašovce, Pavčina Lehota, Závažná Poruba and Jakubovany.

For the higher-level travel overview: Liptovský Mikuláš District.