Hotels in Hronec: Railway, Churches and Nature

The Čiernohronská Railway is an attraction in Hronec that visitors can take to Čierny Balog. The 10.4-kilometre main section from Hronec to Čierny Blh, which was then called Čierny Balog, was built from 1908 onwards: regular service began there that same year.

Landscape and Nature

Hronec lies in a narrow valley of the Čierny Hron River, where the Osrblianka stream flows into it. The Hrončecký grúň National Nature Reserve is located within the cadastral area. It represents beech and beech-fir forest communities typical of the region, but is not open to the public because of nature conservation. The Kamenistý potok natural monument is also located within the cadastral area. It protects the preserved ecosystem of a foothill stream that forms an important habitat for the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra).

The Hronec valley is suitable for hiking and cycling. Its landscape includes a freely meandering stream, meadows, pastures, densely forested slopes and the rock formations of Veľká Stožka and Malá Stožka. The Stožky educational trail also runs through the valley. It begins in Závadka nad Hronom, leads through the Hronec valley, runs parallel to a blue-marked hiking trail and extends to the former forester’s lodge at Pätina. Near Hronec, visitors can visit a leisure centre and a ski lift in winter.

Church and Townscape

The Neoclassical Roman Catholic Church of St. Clement was built in 1826. Its stained-glass windows depict biblical scenes and were made in 1913 in J. Pálka’s workshop in Budapest. The church contains a monumental altar with a mining emblem and an image of the church’s patron saint. Hronec’s two-storey bell tower dates from 1835 and has four historic bells. Its ground floor houses a museum exhibition of cast-iron grave crosses.

The town’s cultural heritage also includes an extraordinary group of nine chapels in Hronec and its surroundings. They were built in various historical periods. The Komorský House stands next to the church in Hronec and adds another named building to this ensemble.

Ironworking and Historic Buildings

The history of ironworking can be seen in several places. In front of the local foundries, a cast-iron bridge made in Hronec in 1810 is on display; it is referred to as the first cast-iron bridge in Central Europe. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hronec ironworks supplied state mines and ironworks in Banská Bystrica, Kremnica and Banská Štiavnica with iron tools and products.

The historic buildings include the Prajský House. It is a chamber building with an enclosed farmyard at the rear and was built around 1800 for Prussian foundry workers. The representative Komor Court was intended for the administrator and officials of the local ironworks. In the Tri vody mountain-valley location near Hronec, the remains of a blast furnace from 1795 have also been preserved.

Other Places

Other town pages: Braväcovo, Mýto Pod Dumbierom, Bystrá, Benus, Telgárt, Horná Lehota, Pohorelá, Osrblie.

For the broader travel overview: Brezno District.