Valaská: Accommodation, Cave and Industrial History
Accommodation in Valaská
At the northern edge of the cadastral area of Valaská, Bystrianska Cave lies directly below the southern edge of the municipality of Bystrá, between Podbrezová and Mýto pod Ďumbierom. The tour route is 580 metres long and takes 45 minutes. Notable features include the rock formations, the development of the underground chambers and the sinter deposits. The cave is an accessible national natural monument site.
File:Valaská, Slovakia - Church of St Martin 02.jpg
Photo: Patrik Kunec via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Culture and History
St. Martin’s Church in Valaská was originally built as a Gothic church in the second half of the 15th century. It was rebuilt between 1612 and 1615 and again in the 19th century; among other things, the sacristy, tower and vault were altered. The church is registered in the Central List of the Slovak Monument Fund under number 86/0.
In Piesok, an ironworks with four furnaces and two double hammers was built on the Bystrianka stream in 1789. A well-preserved complex of large factory buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries has also survived there. These include a cylindrical water tower and a heavy machine hall whose façades are decorated with ornamental brickwork.
The Hutnícky skanzen is located by the limestone rock Skalka na Závoze near Valaská and refers to the regionally significant history of mining and iron smelting. The open-air site includes underground iron-ore mines, a Celtic ironworks from the 1st century, a water-powered Renaissance ironworks, a chapel, a blacksmith’s workshop, a lookout tower and facilities for transporting ore. The Hutnícky skanzen offers an approximately one-hour excursion featuring an audiovisual presentation about vanishing crafts, a visit to an old iron-ore mine and a charcoal burner’s workshop where charcoal is produced.
The Chvatimech chairlift is located in the vicinity of Valaská. It is a technical monument and the first chairlift manufactured in Slovakia, dating from the 1950s. The chairlift belongs to the municipality of Valaská, but is located in the cadastral area of Hronec on private land.
Trails
Hiking trails to the Horné Lazy lookout tower begin in the villages of Valaská, Bystrá and Mýto pod Ďumbierom in the Pohanské area. The lookout tower can be reached via an interactive educational trail with information about the surrounding nature. Wooden sculptures of forest animals stand along the trail; a large wooden megaphone makes the sounds of the forest audible.
The Zákľuky cycling route through Čierny Balog and Sihla enters Valaská via Chvatimech. On 8 June 2026, a new cycleway bridge between Brezno and Valaská was also opened to the public. It is part of a cycling route connecting the two municipalities.
Before booking, it is worth checking the exact location, the type of accommodation and the possible occupancy. Also check which services are included, which components make up the total price and what booking or cancellation conditions apply. This keeps the key differences between individual offers transparent, without assuming information about any particular accommodation.
More destinations: Ráztoka, Dolná Lehota, Bacúch, Bystrá, Nemecká, Mýto Pod Dumbierom, Cierny Balog, Horná Lehota
To the main travel overview: Brezno District.
