Ihráč between a Natural Monument and a Mountain Valley

Nature

At the southern edge of Ihráč lies the Ihráčske kamenné more, covering 2.2 hectares. It is designated as a natural monument. Within it is a crumbling volcanic vent that represents the remains of a natural lava channel. The geology of the Ihráčske kamenné more is predominantly andesitic and dates back to Tertiary volcanism. Thus, the rocky landscape combines its designated form of protection with a clearly identified volcanic origin story.

Geographical Setting

The Biely potok flows through the valley in which Ihráč is situated; downstream from Ihráč, it is called the Ihráčsky potok. The mountain Chom rises above the valley of Ihráč and reaches 1,012 meters. The stream and the mountain thus form the two geographical reference points that stand out particularly clearly in descriptions of the village.

Other places in the same area include Nevoľné, Vyhne, Dolná Ves, Kopernica, Lúčky, Kunešov, Kremnica and Kremnické Bane.

Trails and Landscape

Access to the Ihráčske kamenné more is via the road to the church, past the football pitch, and then right onto a grass-covered path. For orientation, the village area, the football pitch, and the subsequent path are therefore named as successive points.

About 2 kilometers above Ihráč, the rock formation Prieboj–Železné vráta lies in the valley of the Biely potok. Continuing farther up the valley, after about 10 minutes you reach a narrow rocky gorge formed by volcanic activity in the Kremnica Mountains. The approximate distance to the rock formation and the likewise approximate walking time to the gorge describe two separate sections in the same valley.

The 49-kilometer cycling loop “Pohronsko - kremnický cyklookruh” passes through Ihráč. In addition to the trails leading to the geological features, this also identifies a designated cycling route with its own route length.

History and Everyday Life

The Church of Christ the King in Ihráč was built in 1938. The earliest documented written mention of Ihráč dates from February 26, 1388. The church building and the medieval first mention therefore belong to different periods of the village’s history.

Charcoal burning was a source of income for some families in Ihráč in the 17th and 18th centuries. The traditional way of life in Ihráč included wood processing; many families made their living from working in the forest. Charcoal, wood processing, and forest work thus describe different aspects of the former economic and everyday history.

Typical foods in Ihráč included bread, cabbage soup, barley soup, boiled beans, Trhance, Halušky, and later also potatoes.

Leisure

The municipality has a leisure facility with an artificial water reservoir where swimming and recreation in a natural setting are possible during the summer months. The stated use is therefore limited to the summer months and includes both swimming and recreation in the area surrounding the reservoir.

The leisure facility is located 4 kilometers from Ihráč; access there by motor vehicle is prohibited, except for visitors who have rented the leisure facility. This location is therefore subject to both a distance from the municipal area and an explicitly stated access exception.

For accommodation in Ihráč, travel dates, room category, and cancellation conditions can be considered separately. These details relate to the desired period, room selection, and the conditions for changing the trip.

For the higher-level travel overview: Žiar Nad Hronom.