Presenting local history linked to the once influential House of Coburg and the industrial development of the Horehronie region is the main objective of new information panels installed at three sites that once formed part of an ironworks complex.
Located in the villages of Valkovňa, Zlatno and Nová Maša in central Slovakia, the panels are part of the Coburg Iron Trail project. Its authors see potential for the trail to become a cultural route linking industrial sites in the regions of Horehronie, Gemer and Spiš to significant aristocratic residences, hunting lodges and natural landmarks across Slovakia.
In the future, it could also be linked to Coburg-related sites in Germany, Austria and Bulgaria.
“The House of Coburg did a lot for this region,” said Ján Lunter, the former head of the Banská Bystrica Region, according to a press release, adding that their legacy was largely forgotten during the communist era. “I am very glad that there are people in the region who are reviving this story, as well as the places and buildings linked to the glorious era of the ironworks complex.”
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Maps, facts and quizzes
The project, run by the civic association Coburgovci na Slovensku, began in 2019 with the creation of an architectural study of the Coburg Iron Trail, developed in cooperation with the Horehronie Museum and the tourism organisation Región Horehronie.
The study mapped all industrial sites in the region for the first time, prompting its authors to consider linking them via a marked trail.
“The goal was to capture visitors’ attention and offer them the chance to discover this lesser-known history of the region directly on site,” said Jarmila Oceľová of Coburgovci na Slovensku. The information panels will enable visitors to learn more about the locations without needing a guide, she added.
The panels are made of corten, also known as weathering steel – a special alloy that develops a stable, protective rust-like patina when exposed to the elements – and feature a carved map. They includefacts and background information about each location in both Slovak and English.
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There are also short quizzes for children, as well as a QR code that directs visitors to the Coburgovci.sk website, which provides information about other related sites across the country.
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