Holiday apartment in Vlachovo – Iron culture, hiking trails and traditions

Vlachovo combines the history of iron processing with marked hiking trails, bodies of water, nature conservation and vibrant cultural traditions. Between technical monuments, historic buildings and events with strong local roots, a multifaceted picture of the village emerges.

Culture

The Huta Karol is part of the industrial history: a blast furnace for producing iron from iron ore and a technical monument of European significance dating from 1870. Huta Karol was founded by Emanuel Andráši; it was named after his father, Karol Andráši. The blast furnace is also one of the open-air exhibits of the Slovenské technické múzeum Košice.

The Evangelical church in Vlachovo was originally a late Gothic single-nave building dating from around the end of the 15th century. It was extensively rebuilt in 1871, while the altar dates from 1880. Another historic building is the Kaštieľ Andrášiovcov, a single-storey Baroque building from the second half of the 18th century, which was rebuilt in the Neoclassical style in the first half of the 19th century. Following its restoration from 2004 to 2005, the Kaštieľ has served as Vlachovo’s cultural centre.

The historic building stock also includes the Grófska ľadovňa. Its ceremonial entrance was inspired by the Egyptian architecture of mastabas and pyramids; the building was erected by the Andrášiovci at the beginning of the 19th century. The Grófska ľadovňa itself is a space carved into the rock that was probably used to store hunted game.

Hiking

A yellow-marked hiking trail runs through Vlachovo. The municipality also recommends a yellow-marked hiking route from Vlachovo towards Stromíš and Babiná. Another route runs from Vlachovo to Malý Radzim and back; it is 18.8 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 1,201 metres.

The Výstup na Stromíš is also a traditional municipal event connected with local hiking and cultural life. The ascent commemorates Štefan Klement and Ján Elexa, residents originally from Vlachovo who fell in the battles of the Second World War.

Nature

The Andrášiovské rybníky in Vlachovo comprise ponds prepared for sport fishing. The Slaná River flows immediately beside the ponds and offers fishing waters for trout and grayling. A new spawning water body for the protected common frog was created at Močiar pod Michlovom in 2003.

Public excursions to Močiar pod Michlovom were planned for March and April as a nature-science educational measure במסגרת nature conservation.

Events

In 2025, the Festival ľudového spevu a tanca and the Remeselnícky jarmok in Vlachovo reached their 31st and 19th editions, respectively. In the same year, the two events were held for the 31st time. The programme of the Festival ľudového spevu a tanca and the Vlachovský remeselnícky jarmok also included a climb to the church tower with a photo exhibition.

The Folklórny súbor Stromíš preserves songs and traditions from Vlachovo and the region. Alongside the historic testimonies, music, customs and recurring local events therefore also form part of the village’s public cultural life.

Routes

As a themed route, Iron Road II leads from Drnava via Krásnohorské Podhradie, Rožňava, Betliar, Nižná Slaná and Vlachovo to Dobšiná. Vlachovo is thus also connected to a longer route that passes through several localities.

Other places

Other locality pages: Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka, Stratená, Brzotín, Čierna Lehota, Jovice, Rejdová, Dlhá Ves, Betliar.

To the broader travel overview: Rožňava.