Rimavské Zalužany: History, Nature and Local Festivals

Rimavské Zalužany lies in the Rimava Valley at an elevation of 255 metres and on the right bank of the Rimava River. The municipality includes numerous beech and oak forests. The 916-metre-high Sinec lies in the southwestern part of the municipal area. Road I/72, which connects Rimavská Sobota with Brezno, runs through the village. A railway line with the same connection between Rimavská Sobota and Brezno runs parallel to it.

Nature and History

A special thematic route is the SNP–Rimavská Baňa Battlefield Nature Trail. It is approximately 4.5 kilometres long and leads through the cadastral areas of Rimavská Baňa and neighbouring Rimavské Zalužany. In terms of content, the nature trail presents the battles between Slovak insurgents and German units at the end of 1944. Its route also includes a restored authentic machine-gun bunker on Hrb Hill.

During the reenactment of the battles for Hrb Hill on 14 September 2024, the programme initially included memorial ceremonies at the monument to the Slovak National Uprising and the monument to Ján Kutlík. This was followed by a combat reenactment. Other traces also reach back into the past: Around the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, a mill was operating in Rimavské Zalužany. An old mill stands near the railway station, and two lime kilns were discovered near Rimavské Zalužany. The village also has a pseudo-Gothic bell tower dating from the second half of the 19th century.

Events at Lesík

Lesík is a site surrounded by nature for cultural and social events. It lies approximately 500 metres from the village and has been used for such purposes for more than 80 years. Dance events, summer festivals, theatre performances, sporting events and firefighting competitions have taken place at Lesík. The site includes an amphitheatre, an area for cooking goulash, an audience area and the covered Žliabok spring.

The motorcycle rally “Jednou stopou do lesíka” takes place at Lesík near Rimavské Zalužany; it has already been held there for the seventh time. The programme included concerts, competitions, a raffle and a memorial bonfire. The Haluške festival also includes a folklore programme.

Regional Cuisine and Festivals

The communal pig slaughter included a sausage-making competition in which seven teams took part. This traditional communal pig slaughter served dishes such as lung soup, cabbage soup, liver, a regional-style blood speciality and homemade sausages. The event had already been held for the seventh time and was also popular with visitors from the surrounding villages.

At the Haluške festival, traditional dishes and local specialities are offered alongside the cooking competition. At Držkobranie, participants prepared tripe from whole tripe. In addition, a woman, a man and a child from the audience could help evaluate the dishes. The fifth edition of Držkobranie was announced for Saturday, 10 August, at Lesík near Rimavské Zalužany and included a tripe cooking competition.

Other Local Pages

Other local pages: Horné Zahorany, Večelkov, Lehota Nad Rimavicou, Hnúšťa, Zádor, Vieska Nad Blhom, Kociha, Číž.

To the higher-level travel overview: Rimavská Sobota District.