Turícka Magura

Turícka Magura (also Turanská or Turianska Magura; Polish Magura Turicka) is a 1085 m summit in the western part of the Choč Mountains in Slovakia. It rises west of the village of Lúčky, about 6 km north-east of Ružomberok, in Ružomberok District, Žilina Region, on the lands of Turík and Lúčky. From the north-west it towers over the village of Turík, which gave it its name. The nearest villages are Turík and Lúčky (2.7 km each), Kalameny (3.5 km) and Liptovská Teplá (4.4 km).

The mountain belongs to the group of Veľký Choč, the highest peak of the Choč Mountains. It lies on a spur running south-east from Veľký Choč via Malý Choč to Smrekov (1024 m). The broad Žimerová saddle separates it from Malý Choč, and another saddle to the south-east from the slightly lower Smrekov. Around it rise Bukov (1218 m) to the north, Veľký Choč (1611 m) and Malý Choč (1465 m) to the north-west, and Zadný Choč (1288 m), Kopa (1219 m) and Predný Choč (1249 m) to the west. The massif is bounded by the Turík stream valley to the west and the Jastrabá valley to the north. All water drains to the Váh: the western part via the Turík stream, the eastern via the Žimerový potok.

How to get there / routes

No marked trail leads to the summit, which is why, despite easy access, it is rarely visited. The nearest route is the red trail from Lúčky north-east to Veľký Choč. You can leave it at the Žimerová saddle and continue unmarked along the ridge to the top; forest roads around the mountain are another option. The sources give no walking times, so take a detailed Choč Mountains map or navigation.

What you can see from the top

Older Polish guidebooks described the summit as almost entirely wooded, with views only from small meadows – mainly of the rocky cliffs of Malý and Veľký Choč. Today, according to Slovak sources, logging has cleared the summit, giving an all-round panorama. In good weather you see many peaks of the Choč Mountains, the Liptov basin, the Skorušinské vrchy, the Western and Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra and the Babia hora massif. Recent photos confirm the open summit.

Nature and history

The Turícka Magura massif is built of Lower Cretaceous marls as well as Jurassic and Triassic limestones, in which several small caves have formed. The slopes are generally steep, cut in the south and north by a few deeper side valleys, and the dome-shaped summit area is markedly flattened. The summit lies outside protected areas – unlike the neighbouring Choč peaks. "Magura" is a very common Carpathian mountain name; the adjective "Turícka" points to the village of Turík below.

Safety, season and rules

The mountain is accessible all year, but without waymarks it is easy to lose your way, especially in the forest below the summit. Clear-cuts may hold fallen timber and eroded logging roads; in winter the slopes are snowbound. Keep away from active logging sites. Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS): 18 300 (+421 18 300) or 112.

Interesting facts

• The mountain has at least three Slovak names: Turícka, Turanská and Turianska Magura.
• The limestones of the massif hide several small caves.

Photos: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; Mineralysk, CC0; Mineralysk, CC0; Mineralysk, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.