Hájny grúň

Hájny grúň is a forested 1208 m summit in the northern part of the Poľana mountains in Central Slovakia. It rises above the village of Strelníky, about 15 km south-west of the town of Brezno, on the boundary of the Banská Bystrica and Brezno Districts of the Banská Bystrica Region, within the cadastres of Ľubietová and Hronec. The nearest settlements are Strelníky and Ľubietová to the west and Osrblie to the north-east; they are 6 to 10 km away in a straight line, so large uninhabited forests surround the summit.

The mountain's greatest peculiarity is its position on the map: Slovak geographers regard Hájny grúň as the geometric centre of Slovakia, i.e. the centre of gravity of the state territory. A little to the north, around the peaks of Ľubietovský Vepor and Hrb, the "centre of Slovakia" has been set with an accuracy of 5–10 km, and an official table with coordinates stands there.

How to get there / routes

• Red trail – the Rudná magistrála (KST 0804), one of the longest ridge routes in Slovakia, runs right over the summit. From the south it comes from the town of Detva via the highest peak of the Poľana mountains (1457.8 m) and the Jasenová saddle (1103.5 m), from the north from the saddle below Hrb via Vepor (1277 m).
• Marked side trails meet at the Krížne junction: from Strelníky via Ľubietovská Bukovina, from the Kyslinky hamlet and from the Tri vody junction near Osrblie via the Jasenová saddle, from Ponická Huta via the Bukovina junction.

There are springs near the Jasenová saddle, including a spring area below it – a handy place to refill water on the long ridge walk.

What you can see from the top

Forest covers the summit, so the view is very limited. From open spots you see mainly the neighbouring peaks of Poľana and the Vepor Mountains. In favourable conditions a large part of the Low Tatras ridge, the Starohorské vrchy, the Greater Fatra and the Kremnica Mountains come into view, with Fabova hoľa and Klenovský Vepor dominating to the east. Occasionally the peaks of the High Tatras show up to the north above the Low Tatras ridge.

Nature and history

Hájny grúň stands on a ridge that runs north from the caldera of the ancient Poľana stratovolcano towards Vepor and Hrb. The Poľana mountains are the remnant of a large volcano, so the peaks here are built of volcanic rocks. The northern neighbour is Vepor (1277 m), to the west lies Ľubietovská Bukovina (1194 m), to the south Grúň (1026 m). The Jasenová saddle separates the summit from Brusniansky grúň (1271 m) to the south-east, and Hrončecký grúň (973 m) lies to the east. The whole area belongs to the Hron basin: the western slopes drain to tributaries of the Hutná, the eastern ones via the Osrblianka and the Hronček towards the Kamenistý potok.

The mountain lies in the Poľana Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Poľana), which is also a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Extensive beech and fir-beech forests grow here.

Safety, season and rules

Here the Rudná magistrála is long and remote: carry water, a map and a headlamp and plan your time – the nearest villages are far away. In winter the routes are deep in snow. In the protected area stay on marked trails and do not light fires. In Slovakia the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) operates: 18 300 (+421 18 300); the general emergency number is 112.

Interesting facts

• Hájny grúň is the geometric centre of Slovakia – the "centre of gravity" of its territory.
• The Rudná magistrála, the red trail across the Slovak Ore Mountains, runs over the summit.
• The mountain lies on the rim of the caldera of the ancient Poľana volcano.