Theme Paths

A walk through old Železniki

The Selca valley was once the home of ironworking, which characterised the towns and villages along the length of the Selca Sora river. Železniki began to develop as the ironworking centre of the valey in 1340. Manufacturing-ironworking activities, which were enabled by the large reserves of iron ore in the surrounding hills, the plentiful supplies of wood, and the Selca Sora river as the driving force, gave the pulse to the city right up until 1902 when, mostly due to lack of competiteveness, the iron industry collapsed. Today the large one- or two-storey houses with lattice windows, wrought-iron shutters and slate roofs are reminders of the former lives of ironworkers in the town.

A walk through the old part of Železniki runs through the settlements of Racovnik, Trnje and 'Na Plavžu', the former market area, which exhibits the interest and rich ironworking heritage of the town. It leads past houses where well-known Železniki locals were born or lived, and past churches and mining pits. Jeglič's House (Jegličeva hiša) is magnificient, whilst Eger's Garden (Egrov vrt), where there was once a wooden villa with bathroom and fountain, is of interest. 'Plnada' is the oldest house dating from the 13th century and was named after iron workers from Palmanova. Other exceptional houses, which bear witness to the rich architectural heritage of Zelezniki are Špendalova hiša, Bargeljnova hiša, and Plavčeva hiša. Without doubt, the biggest feature of Železniki is the preserved blast furnace for smelting iron ore, which is unique in Europe and is a protected technical monument.

A walk through the old part of Železniki ends (or could also begin) at the blast furnace. In close proximity is 'Plavčeva hiša' which houses the Železniki Museum, where you can find out more about the ironworking history of the town. Within the museum there is also a tourist office, where you can see a rich collection of lace-bobbin masterpieces and also purchase souvenirs such as lace-bobbin products from Železniki and Dražgoše honey breads.

Visit also:

Železniki Museum
Davča Ethnographic Museum
Grohar's House
Ratitovec (1644m)

Restaurants in the vicinity:

Restaurant Pr' Birt
Macesen Restaurants with Rooms
Restaurant Trnje
Restaurant Pri Slavcu
Restaurant Lušina