History of cottage

The Vrútky branch of the KČST (Club of Czechoslovak Tourists) decided to build the "Kľačianska Shelter on Magura near Vrútky" right at the upper edge of the forest meadow at an elevation of 1,175 meters above sea level. It was successfully completed on May 1, 1927. The individuals who contributed the most to its construction were Alojz Tašner, the director of the local school, and railway officials Adolf Roubal and Dionýz Lamoš.

The ceremonial opening of the shelter took place at the beginning of August 1927, with sixty-eight people in attendance, including guests from Moravia and the Czech lands. The log, two-story building cost just under 11,000 crowns, and stone and wood from the nearby area were used for its construction. The tables, benches, stove, and kitchen equipment were made and carried up by the hikers themselves. The walls were decorated with framed photographs by Mr. Unger from Lazov. Sleeping arrangements were in the attic, which provided space for twenty beds. In the first month alone, four hundred and fifteen tourists from all over Czechoslovakia stayed overnight in the shelter. The keys to the shelter were handed out to interested visitors by A. Tašner and D. Lamoš. The fee for an overnight stay was voluntary.

In 1930, the Kľačianska Shelter was expanded with an annex and a woodshed, increasing its capacity by twelve beds. That same year, a green-marked trail was built and marked from the shelter to a water source, which was later extended from Turčianske Kľačany to the summit of Suchý. After the death of the first caretaker, D. Lamoš, the shelter was renamed the Lamoš Shelter (he served as caretaker from 1926 to 1928 and again in 1935).

Other caretakers included R. Scheda (1929 – 1932), K. Štanzel (1933 – 1934), J. Telehanič (1935 – 1939), and J. Jelenčík (1941 – 1944).

In 1935, the shelter was expanded again, adding a second kitchen equipped with utensils, and the sleeping capacity increased to forty beds. The price for an overnight stay was 3 Kčs, and in winter, 5 Kčs. The keys to the shelter could be picked up from Bohumil Prokša, a provisions merchant near the Vrútky railway station. On weekdays, the key was available from barber E. Cagán at his barbershop in Vrútky. An interesting tradition from the past was the annual religious services held in the meadow below the shelter during the "Days of the Mountains." Visitors to the shelter were greeted by the inscription: "What was created with love, let good will preserve." In March 1943, the shelter applied for classification as a taproom, stating that "… we serve and sell small quantities of distilled alcoholic beverages."

The Lamoš Shelter (like other cottages in Malá Fatra) was burned down by German soldiers on October 28, 1944, and was never rebuilt.