Malinová: Gold History, Nature Trails and Partisan Bunker

Malinová is a foothill municipality situated in a deforested hilly landscape with numerous alluvial fans. The forests consist of fir-beech stands and are locally complemented by pine and spruce. The history of the village includes the Roboty, also known as Kamenné moria: in Malinová, they are a lasting testament to historic gold mining.

Nature

The nature around Malinová offers suitable conditions for hiking and mushroom picking. A clearly defined experience is the 2.5-kilometre nature trail leading to the Roboty, the so-called Kamenné moria. It starts in the village centre at the bus stop, runs through the village and forest, and ends at the edge of extensive meadows at the foot of the Strážovské vrchy. Large orchards once stood here. The forest section is varied but not difficult and is also suitable for children.

Another marked route starts at the bus stop in the village and leads to the Partisan bunker. It is 6.65 km long and has 414 m of elevation gain. The route is suitable for children and less-demanding hikers and can be used for hiking and cycling. From the Partisan bunker, visitors can continue along the route to the summit of Magura at an elevation of 1,141 m. The Pravnianska radiála cycling route also passes through Malinová.

History

Traces of gold mining in Malinová date back to the gold mines that existed at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1648, approximately 700 g of gold dust was extracted in Malinová. The Roboty also recall this history and are likewise known as Kamenné moria.

The Partisan bunker near Malinová is a reconstructed representation of a bunker built in 1944 by partisans of the Ernest Thälmann unit during the Second World War. After the Partisan bunker’s second restoration in 2018, an information board was installed there. It briefly explains the partisan resistance and the history of Malinová. The route to it is signposted from the bus stop in Malinová, first with a tourist sign and then with wooden direction arrows. The municipality of Malinová and the local organisation of the Slovak Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters regularly organise commemorative marches to the jointly restored Partisan bunker.

Culture

The folk architecture typical of Malinová includes residential houses, agricultural outbuildings, mills, mining structures, belfries, wayside shrines and bridges. The Mlynský kameň is a preserved relic of a former mill where flour was ground for the entire village. The Chapel of the Seven Sorrows of Mary contains a folk-style Pietà on its altar, dating from the time when the chapel was built.

More village pages

For more options, you can also open the following village pages: Bystricany, Temeš, Lehota Pod Vtáčnikom, Opatovce Nad Nitrou, Nitrianske Sučany, Kanianka, Nitrica, Diviaky Nad Nitricou.

To the higher-level travel overview: Prievidza.