Bôr

Bôr (also Bory, Bôry) is a 1888 m summit in the Low Tatras in Slovakia, about 13 km south-west of Liptovský Mikuláš. It lies in the central part of the range, in the Ďumbier Tatras, above the Demänová valley, in the cadastres of Demänovská Dolina and Lazisko in the Liptovský Mikuláš District of the Žilina Region. Bôr is a three-topped mountain on a side ridge that runs north from Poľana (1889 m) on the main ridge and continues via Zákľuky (1915 m) to Siná (1560 m). Its highest top lies about 2 km north of Poľana.

Bôr is a junction summit: here the ridge splits into two arms enclosing the Mošnica valley, a branch of the Krížska valley. The ridge separates the upper Demänová valley in the east from the Krížska valley in the west. Around it rise Krakova hoľa (1752 m), Tanečnica and Konský grúň to the east, Dereše (2004 m), Poľana and Kotliská (1937 m) to the south, Ostredok, Spálená and Rakytová to the west, and Jaloviarka and Siná to the north. The Palúdžanka stream drains the west and tributaries of the Demänovka the east, all in the Váh basin.

How to get there / routes

A yellow-marked trail crosses the summit along the ridge of the northern spur:

• from the car park at the Demänovská Cave of Liberty in the Demänová valley via Sedlo Sinej and Bôr to Zákľuky and Poľana – about 3:40 h up and 2:45 h down;
• from the south – from Poľana on the main ridge, where the yellow trail crosses the red Cesta hrdinov SNP.

What you can see from the top

The summit and ridge are covered only by low alpine-meadow vegetation, so there is a full panorama. In good conditions you can see the neighbouring Low Tatra peaks as well as the High and Western Tatras, the Choč Mountains, the Orava Magura and the Beskids, and the Greater and Lesser Fatra.

Nature and history

Like the whole main ridge of the Ďumbier Tatras, the massif is built of "Ďumbier-type" granite. These hard rocks give rounded shapes, an even ridge line and relatively gentle slopes, though groups of rocks stand on the ridge and many gullies score the slopes. Small cirques and nivation hollows at the foot are traces of former glaciation. In the 17th and 18th centuries the slopes of Bôr, especially on the Krížska side, were intensively mined for iron ore; heaps of waste rock are still recognisable. The old folk name of the mountain, Halny (Borhalmi on older maps), dates from that time.

Safety, season and rules

Bôr lies in the Low Tatras National Park, and its slopes are one of the main refuges of the Tatra chamois in the range. The yellow trail over the summit is therefore closed seasonally, roughly from October to the end of June (sources give 1 or 16 October as the start). Check the current restrictions on the NAPANT park website before setting out. Since 15 July 2026 government regulation 189/2026 divides the park into zones A–D; in zone A walking is allowed only on marked trails. The ridge is exposed to wind and storms. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300); general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• Bôr has three tops; the highest is 1888 m.
• The old name Halny recalls the mines on its slopes.

Photos: Daniel Baránek, CC BY-SA 3.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; Palickap, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.