Magnezitovce is well suited to exploring sacred architecture and railway construction from a cultural and historical perspective. The Evangelical church, the Koprášsky Tunnel and the viaduct each offer a different focus: preserved furnishings, a passage through an S-shaped structure and an arched bridge. This makes it possible to distinguish architectural history and technical infrastructure as two of the village’s main themes. When planning your visit, it is also important to distinguish the dimensions of the structures from the longer passage, and to take into account the different ways of visiting the tunnel and viaduct areas.
The Evangelical Church and its preserved furnishings
The Evangelical church was rebuilt in 1933 and is notable for its unusual modernist architecture. It also preserves the pulpit and altar from the previous church. The year 1933 refers to the new building; the pulpit and altar come from its predecessor. The congregation considers the church one of its most important tourist attractions. To understand it, it is worth distinguishing these different periods: the new building introduced a modernist architectural style into the church’s history, while the pulpit and altar were retained from the former place of worship. The church is thus characterised both by its architecture and by the continuity of its furnishings. The congregation considers it one of its most important tourist attractions, giving it a distinct cultural focus alongside the railway structures.
Koprášsky Tunnel: structure and passage
The Koprášsky Tunnel, also known as the Mníšanský Tunnel, was built from 1941 to 1944 as part of an unfinished railway connection through Gemer. It is S-shaped and 245 metres long. The passage enabled by the tunnel runs for 2.4 kilometres from Magnezitovce to Slavošovce; crossing it takes about 45 minutes. The two length measurements refer to different scales: 245 metres describes the structure, while 2.4 kilometres describes the passage between the villages. This is useful for planning, because the length of the structure is not the same as the entire crossing. The tunnel is freely accessible to tourists; check local conditions before entering. Its place in the unfinished railway project is part of its historical context, alongside its S shape and the actual crossing.
Koprášsky (Mníšanský) Viaduct
The Koprášsky (Mníšanský) Viaduct is the last surviving one of twelve bridges built during the construction of the railway. The arched viaduct is 120 metres long and 36 metres high. It can be reached from Magnezitovce and is suitable for walks or cycling; local conditions may vary. Its survival and dimensions answer different questions: the twelve bridges place the structure in the history of the railway project, while its length and height describe its specific form. The measurements also give an idea of the scale of the arched structure. For visitors, its suitability for walks or cycling is another clear difference from the tunnel passage.
Comparing two building histories
The church and the railway structures can be distinguished both chronologically and by subject. The church’s 1933 reconstruction belongs to a different building phase from the tunnel, which was part of an unfinished railway connection from 1941 to 1944. At the church, modernist architecture sits alongside furnishings preserved from the predecessor church; in the railway project, the tunnel passage, viaduct and unfinished connection are the main themes. The different ways of visiting also matter when choosing what to do: the tunnel is described as a crossing with an approximate duration, while the viaduct is suitable for walks or cycling. This can help you decide whether to focus on sacred architecture, the passage or the bridge structure.
Discover more destinations: Leváre, Muránska Lehota, Levkuška, Mokrá Lúka, Revúcka Lehota, Prihradzany, Kameňany, Muránska Zdychava
For the wider travel overview: Okres Revúca.
