HZS Greater Fatra regional centre

About 2,100 km²: the Greater Fatra, the Lúčanská part of the Lesser Fatra, the Šíp Fatra, the western Low Tatras (Prašivá), the Starohorské vrchy and, under the statute, the Kremnica Mountains.

Mountain emergency — Slovakia18 300 · 11218 300 — Slovak Mountain Rescue Service emergency line (operations centre), 24/7; 112 — single European emergency number

Contacts HZS Veľká Fatra

HZS Greater Fatra regional centreOblastné stredisko HZS Veľká FatraHeadquarters: Mišúty 504, 976 39 Donovaly, SlovakiaOfficial website: hzs.sk/velka-fatra
  • 18 300 Slovak Mountain Rescue Service emergency line (operations centre), 24/7
  • +421 48 419 97 24 HZS regional centre (not instead of 18 300)
Get directions

The Greater Fatra regional centre of the Mountain Rescue Service (Oblastné stredisko HZS Veľká Fatra), based in Donovaly, covers about 2,100 km² in central Slovakia. The highest peak of the Greater Fatra is Ostredok (1,592 m); the main ridge, the 'Hoľná Fatra', has wide grassy crests from Kráľova studňa via Krížna to Rakytov, while in the south and west the 'Bralná Fatra' has deep limestone valleys — Gaderská, Blatnická, Žarnovická. The Greater Fatra is known for its many avalanche slopes: in 1924 an avalanche from Krížna killed 18 people, the deadliest in Slovak history.

How to call for help

Dial the HZS emergency line 18 300 or 112. The best way is the official HZS app: one button connects you to the operations centre and sends your exact location, and with a weak signal you can use its chat. Say where you are and what happened, how many people are hurt and how badly, and give a call-back number. Keep your phone on.

Area and stations

Besides the Greater Fatra itself, the centre covers the Lúčanská part of the Lesser Fatra, the Šíp Fatra, the western Low Tatras with Prašivá and the Starohorské vrchy, and under the HZS statute also the Kremnica Mountains. Its main base is the regional centre in Donovaly.

Good to know

  • Rescue in Slovakia is charged: the person rescued pays for search and transport, while medical care is covered by health insurance. Minors are exempt. Buy mountain insurance before you set out.
  • Before a hike, log it in the electronic hike book in the HZS app: the evening before it sends warnings for your area, and if you don't check back, rescuers will come looking.
  • Before setting out, read the current HZS warnings and mountain conditions for your area: they are published on the service's website and in the app together with the weather forecast.
  • In winter, follow the avalanche bulletin of the HZS Avalanche Prevention Centre — published on its own website and in the app.
  • According to the HZS, ski and hiking routes with winter marking are safe from avalanches — stick to them in winter.

Stations and bases

Unit and addressPhonesDirections
HZS Greater Fatra — DonovalyMišúty 504, Donovaly
Get directions

Map of the stations

Official apps

  • Horská záchranná služba (HZS) — Official HZS app: one-button call for help sending your GPS location to 18 300, chat (with automatic translation) when the signal is weak, 'Guardian Angel', an electronic hike log, avalanche warnings and mountain insurance. Verify your phone number in the app in advance.

Is the rescue free

Since 1 July 2006, under the Act on the Mountain Rescue Service, anyone in a Slovak mountain area must pay the HZS for the costs of rescue or search concerning them. This does not apply to minors or persons without legal capacity. Medical care is covered by health insurance, while the 'technical intervention' (search, extrication, transport) is paid by the person rescued, whether or not they were at fault. The HZS therefore advises mountain insurance, which can also be bought in the HZS app.

Other mountain rescue services: Slovakia

Last updated: 3 November 2026. Numbers checked against the services' official websites (sources below). If a number does not answer, call 112.

Sources (6)