Kráľova studňa (1384 m a.s.l.) — 'King's Spring' — is one of the most distinctive spots in the Veľká Fatra mountains of Slovakia: a cluster of powerful natural springs bursting from beneath a wide scree field, surrounded by limestone flora and a web of well-marked hiking trails. It's a place that rewards every type of hiker, from day-trippers to ridge-walkers.

The springs flow out of metal troughs at the western edge of the Krížna massif, with the rocky pinnacle of Kráľova skala (1377 m) rising just to the north. The open terrain offers sweeping views across the Veľká Fatra ridges, and the limestone slopes host a remarkable variety of plants — fringed pink, common columbine, heart-leaved globularia, auricula primrose and short-stemmed gentian. Each season brings a different mood: wildflower meadows in spring, warm colours in autumn, and a quiet snowscape in winter.

• Blatnica — via Blatnická dolina and Juriašova dolina — approx. 4 hrs 40 min., demanding (1035 m ascent, 14 km)
• Dolný Harmanec — via Bystrická dolina — approx. 3 hrs up, moderate (5.8 km)
• Krížna — via Veľký Rigeľ — approx. 45 min. descent, easy (3 km)

• Horský hotel Kráľova studňa is located just below the springs at 1270 m a.s.l. — it offers both hotel rooms and shared dormitory accommodation; booking in advance is recommended.
• The access road from Dolný Harmanec is open to private cars only as far as the Panská koliba car park — hotel guests may drive further.
• Near the springs you'll also find the Symbolic Cemetery of Veľká Fatra Victims, a Slovak National Uprising monument and a partisan dugout.

The first wooden shelter here was built in 1927 by the Banská Bystrica section of the Czechoslovak Tourists Club — a reminder that this mountain crossroads has been welcoming hikers for nearly a century.