Technical monuments Liptovské Beharovce

Medvedia štôlňa in Žiarska dolina is the only old mining site in Liptov that is open to the public. Žiarska dolina is located at the end of the village of Žiar in the Liptovský Mikuláš district, in the Západné Tatry mountains. It is one of the most visited valleys in Liptov, both in summer and in winter.

The adit ranks among the rarities of old mining works in the Tatras. Its length is up to 550 m, making it the longest among them. It was officially opened to the public in 2012 and has since belonged among the very popular Liptov attractions. Given that the mine follows a quartz vein, it is assumed that precious metals, likely gold, were once mined here.

The name may confuse some. It is not called "bear" because it used to be a bear's den. For a long time, a tourist information board stood near its entrance warning that visitors were entering an area where bears occur in abundance. And because the board and the entrance to the mine were indeed close to each other, the name of the adit was clear.

During a visit to the underground, various emotions will sweep through you, and you will take away a lifelong experience. Moving by the light of a burning oil lamp, feeling the cold and humidity, hearing the echo of every step and rustle—it is simply something unique. Absolutely all your senses will awaken.

For children, setting out into the land of the legendary underground realm Aghartha is a great experience. One of the stops is right in Medvedia štôlňa in Žiar, near St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners. Collect a coin, a confirmation for your map, and off you go to other parts of the fairy-tale land. Netopierikovo, Mincovníčkovo, and Permoníkovo are still waiting for you. It is great fun full of adventures.

You can get almost all the way to the adit by car, parking approximately 200 m from its entrance. If the article caught your interest, we recommend booking accommodation near Medvedia štôlňa right away. Get inspired, for example, on the page accommodation Žiar or accommodation Liptovský Mikuláš; both locations are very good starting points for a trip. Moreover, attractions in Liptov are each better than the last. Whether you want to rest, hike up hills, relax by swimming in warm water, enjoy great skiing, or learn interesting information in a museum, you will experience all of this in this place. Liptov has almost unlimited options for fun.

Považská lesná železnica is an exhibition of Liptovské múzeum v Ružomberku, located in Múzeum liptovskej dediny v Pribyline. This narrow-gauge railway primarily transported harvested timber. During its golden era, the railway network in the basin of Čierny Váh stretched an impressive 107 km. Design work began in 1912. The main line, which also allowed passenger transport, connected Liptovský Hrádok with Liptovská Teplička, then continued toward the Staníkovo forester's lodge. Trains operated on it until the end of 1972, and during its existence, it was the second longest forest railway in Slovakia.

The railway was extremely popular among locals and tourists alike. So much so that most of its transport components had their own names. People called the train nothing other than "mašinka" (little engine), while the track was colloquially known as "štriečka". The Frajtka draisine, the first passenger carriage Klasa, and the steam locomotives Veľká Maďarka, Malá Maďarka, Barbora, Cifra, Kopil, and Sulika all ran along it. The last-mentioned locomotive is currently located in the exhibition of Múzeum liptovskej dediny v Pribyline, where it is known as Kačena.

At first, preserved tracks from the original route, along with some carriages and locomotives, were moved to the Pribylina open-air museum. The exhibition was static. However, the museum wanted to remain attractive to visitors, so they decided to breathe new life into the old railway. Therefore, thanks to funds obtained from the European Union under the project "Following the Traces of Technical Monuments from Podhale to Liptov," its reconstruction took place in 2018. They completed the track, connecting the lower part of the open-air museum ("village") with its upper part ("depot") over a total length of 950 m. Now, visitors ride along it on historic train sets saved from the original railway.

Although the railway ride is only possible on a shortened track, it certainly doesn't shorten the visitor experience, quite the opposite! During the ride, you will travel back in time. Not only because of the feeling evoked by sitting in an antique type of locomotive, but especially thanks to the view you have during the ride. The railway leads through beautiful natural scenery where you can enjoy the scent of trees, their vibrant shades of green, and the sound of gurgling water. There is even an original steel bridge that was part of the railway's original route, relocated to the museum to make the riding experience complete.

When you step off at the depot, you will be met with a view of stationary train sets. Men might find their thoughts drifting back to childhood, when their eyes lit up at the thought of becoming train drivers or conductors one day. You can sit here for a moment before heading back. Preferably on foot, it is a pleasant walk that will take you past a new exhibition at the Pribylina open-air museum. This is a unique relaxation zone that will connect you even deeper with nature from within. Sitting in a raptor's nest or snuggling up in a bear's den is an indescribable experience. You definitely have to try it!

Naturally, the admission ticket includes the entire exhibition of Múzeum liptovskej dediny, so it would be a shame not to explore the individual exhibits consisting of traditional houses, a village school, or a manor house. A walk through the medieval-style village, illustrating how our grandmothers once lived, is really easy and suitable for children or seniors. It is so beautiful here that you should reserve a whole day for your visit. You won't even want to head home sooner. Find nice accommodation near Považská lesná železnica and enjoy a wonderful time with your family.

Accommodation Pribylina and accommodation Vavrišovo are the closest options to stay literally a stone's throw away from the Považská lesná železnica exhibition. However, while you are in the area, check out other trip ideas in Liptov that this popular and highly sought-after central Slovak region has to offer.

Františkova huta is located in Orava, in the Tvrdošín district. Although cadastrally it belongs to the village of Nižná, the entire building is owned by the village of Podbiel. It is the ruin of a factory hall of a former ironworks. The ironworks (huta) is among the most significant industrial revolution monuments in Orava. The fact that Juraj Jakubisko's films The Millennial Bee (Tisícročná včela) and An Ambiguous Report about the End of the World (Nejasná správa o konci sveta) were filmed here certainly adds to its attractiveness.

The establishment of Františkova huta dates back to 1836, when its construction began under the supervision of the builder, the Briton Newbuild. Permission for its construction was granted as early as 1819, 16 years after the opening of three iron ore mines in Podbiel. Construction lasted 19 years and was never finished. The ironworks was in operation until 1862, when it ceased to exist due to changing social conditions. Mines belonging to the Orava estate took care of the ore supply, delivering it from Zuberec, Habovka, Malatiná, and Juráňova dolina.

From the complex, which in its time was quite extensive, a blast furnace with an original height of approximately 12 meters has been preserved. In addition to it, visitors will also see the foundations of a hammer mill (skujňovacia huta), the remains of a water raceway, a blower chamber, and the perimeter walls of the hall made of fired brick in which the aforementioned blast furnace was located.

It is assumed that Františkova huta was among the most significant attractions of upper Orava. It featured top-tier processing at a level that competed even with ironworks abroad. It carries a message as well as a powerful story from the times of the industrial revolution, about the industrial development of the entire region, manufacture, and production. In 1963, it was declared a national cultural monument.

Every year, both tourists and locals are drawn here by the music festival Orava Alternative. It is always organized on the first weekend of August. At the end of August, a medieval and Old Slavic day takes place here, where you can come to watch demonstrations of original iron processing. The advantage of the site is mainly the fact that it is accessible via a few minutes' walk along the main road from Podbiel towards Oravský Biely Potok.

Although it is a ruin, visually it is very handsome and fits seamlessly into the beautiful surrounding environment. Children can play conquerors, knights, and princesses here, because that is exactly the impression the ironworks evokes. It is simply a majestic work that, thanks to activists and the promise of the village of Podbiel, is not falling into decay, but is maintaining at least its current form.

To be as close to Františkova huta as possible, book a stay on the pages accommodation Podbiel, accommodation Zuberec, or accommodation Nižná and set out on a trip. It is not time-consuming at all, so during your stay you will also manage to visit other attractions in Orava; Františkova huta, however, definitely belongs among those that are worth not missing out on.