Drnava combines hiking opportunities with cycling routes and tangible evidence of its industrial history. The Poklady Drnavy educational trail starts at the Drnava Ironworks site, is 4.8 kilometres long and has seven stops with information boards in Slovak and Hungarian. It is considered an easy family outing and suitable for families with young children and school groups. This provides a clear local focus when choosing a holiday apartment: you can plan your stay around trails and local history, while also taking cycling options into account.
A trail through landscape and architectural history
The forest section of the educational trail offers views of almost all of Drnava. The route also passes a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) that is more than 300 years old. It then descends to the single-storey Baroque-Classical Andrássy manor house, which was originally built in this style at the end of the 18th century. The educational trail also leads to the Chapel of the Virgin Mary; its final stop is the Catholic Church of St. Nicholas, dating from 1779. Nature and different architectural histories thus sit side by side along a single educational trail.
If you would like to include another hiking route, consider the route from Drnava via Tekvičník, Pipitka, Čipkov vrch, Lipovec and Čertov hrad, returning to Drnava. The place names make its course easy to follow, without implying that they are stops on the educational trail. The two route descriptions therefore have different focuses: the educational trail leads to specific natural and cultural points, while the other hiking route connects a series of place names and peaks.
Traces of mining and ironworks
Drnava's history is also evident in larger sites and individual surviving details. A hillfort site with a fortified area of more than 20 hectares once stood on the summit of Drieňovec. In the 1840s, components for Budapest's famous Chain Bridge were cast at the Drnava Ironworks. Some gravestones made by the ironworks still survive in the local cemetery. Together, these places and objects offer insights into the archaeological and industrial aspects of local history.
The Drnava ironworks building also has a distinctive architectural form: it is two storeys high and was built in the neoclassical style. Its façades are articulated by 26 blind arcades supported by pilasters. For a visit focused on architectural history, this precise façade design complements the Baroque-Classical forms of the Andrássy manor house; the two buildings represent different architectural styles.
The Dionýz adit is designated a national technical monument. Its portal is the authentically preserved visible above-ground part of the adit in the Drnava mining district. There is a shelter, a small pond, benches and a fire pit in front of the adit. As the facilities may change, check their condition before your visit.
Cycling and accommodation in Drnava
Two routes with different characteristics are available to cyclists. Cycling route 2701 starts in Drnava and heads towards Lipovník; it is designated a moderately difficult MTB route. The Zádielska route passes through Drnava and is 54.5 kilometres long. Visitors can also rent e-bikes in Drnava to explore the Poklady Drnavy educational trail and the remains of the old railway. Check e-bike availability before your trip. When planning, you can therefore choose between a designated MTB route, a route with a stated total length, or exploring by rental e-bike.
Discover more destinations: Čierna Lehota, Brzotín, Rejdová, Dedinky, Jovice, Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka, Stratená, Betliar.
For the broader travel overview: Rožňava.
