František's smelter

On the road from Podbielo to Zuberec, in the valley of the Studený potok, there are massive ruins of an ironworks from the first half of the 19th century. Františkova huta – the locals also call it Hamor – is a national cultural monument and one of the most important monuments of metallurgy in Slovakia. It is also registered on the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH).

The story of the smelter

The construction of the classicist factory hall began in 1836. The smelter processed iron ore from the surrounding mines – Habovka, Zuberec and Juráňova Valley. However, the building was never completed and due to the poor quality, brittle iron, operations soon ceased; the smelter operated until approximately the 1860s.

What will you see?

• red sandstone facade with a three-axis projection
• a blast furnace in the center of the building, a blast chamber, and the remains of a hammer mill
• supply and waste water canal and behind the building a heap of iron ore
• nature trail information panel

Director Juraj Jakubisko also loved the ruins - he filmed scenes for his films here. The thousand-year-old bee a Unclear message about the end of the world. Every year on the first weekend of August, the Orava Alternative music festival is held here.

Good to know

• The ruin is freely accessible and admission is free. A tour takes 20-40 minutes.
• It can be perfectly combined with a trip to Zuberec, the Orava Village Museum or Roháče.
• It is an unguarded ruin with no services - please do not climb the walls.

Photo: Teslaton (CC BY 3.0), Schliemann (CC BY-SA 3.0), Teslaton (CC BY 3.0), Michal Jakubsky (CC BY 3.0), Teslaton (CC BY 3.0), Teslaton (CC BY 3.0) – Wikimedia Commons