Rozhladňa Lažtek
If you enjoy spending your free time in nature and happen to be in the village of Horné Pršany, we recommend an easy hike to Rozhľadňa Lažtek. The yellow-marked hiking trail will lead you to it from the small village near Banská Bystrica, whose first written mention dates back to 1407. The 8.2-meter-high wooden observation tower was built by the local hiking club in 2017.
The single-story observation tower located on the eastern slope of the Lažtek hill (807 m above sea level) will provide you with a beautiful panoramic view of Banská Bystrica, Urpín, and the entire Zvolenská kotlina basin. The educational trail consists of four stops, from which you will learn something about the historical and natural attractions of the village, its immediate surroundings, and hiking opportunities in this part of the Kremnické vrchy.
The route of the educational trail leads through open terrain lined by a small forest. You can park your car at the designated "parking lot below the observation tower" at the upper end of the village of Horné Pršany. We recommend taking the hike during the spring or autumn months when the sun is not burning as hot yet. The first stop is "Pred závoz", where behind the bend you will find a covered seating area. Here you can refresh yourself and enjoy the view of the landscape. The trail continues further through a barrier up into the forest. Pass by the barrier, and another sign with the inscription "Kopanice" will appear on a tree.
The next stop is already Rozhľadňa Lažtek, where you can enjoy a campfire cookout, so don't forget the bacon and sausages. If you decide to go further, you will come across an interesting natural formation, Čertova hlava, a smaller twin of the nearby Čertova skala. It is a mushroom rock featuring an andesite cap and a pyroclastic stem. Further along, the yellow marker continues to the Klin spring, near which a stone with a carved runic inscription was found. You can combine your trip with a visit to Jaskyňa Kremenia, simply return along the same path back to the village and continue along the yellow-marked hiking trail. This pseudocave has five entrances, and wart-like calcium sinter formations can be observed on its ceiling.
If you still have plenty of energy and haven't used up all your provisions, we recommend a trip to the picturesque Malachovský vodopád waterfall. This hike is also suitable for families with children, pack rubber boots for the little ones who love water. You can wrap up your stay in nature with a visit to Banská Bystrica. However, you won't be able to visit all the attractions of the metropolis of central Slovakia in one day, so we recommend looking for suitable accommodation in Banská Bystrica, directly in Horné Pršany, or in nearby Malachov.
