Pohorelá: Ironworks History, Churches and Nature

Pohorelá is part of the Horehronie ethnographic region. The history of the village is reflected in several clearly distinct themes: the ironworks and the workers’ settlement of Pohorelská Maša that grew out of it, the ecclesiastical heritage, and the Pohorelské vrchovisko Nature Reserve. Pohorelá can thus be explored through the connection between settlement and industrial history and a specific natural area.

Ironworks and Settlement History

In the 18th century, iron ore mines were opened and an ironworks was built within Pohorelá’s cadastral area. The complex developed into the most important iron producer in Gemerská župa. The village’s industrial history therefore includes both the extraction of iron ore and its processing at the ironworks.

In 1833, Karol Heyssl built the first sheet-rolling mill in what was then Hungary within the ironworks complex. Another part of this history is Pohorelská Maša: the settlement was established in connection with the ironworks as a home for its workers. The development of the works is therefore as much a part of the village’s story as the creation of a settlement for the people who worked there.

Church and Folklore

Pohorelská Maša is home to a Roman Catholic church, built in 1903 on the site of a former wooden Coburg manor house. Its windows have coloured glass. The church was dedicated to Saint Filip in the year it was consecrated. Its year of construction, former site and dedication are distinct aspects of its history, giving the ecclesiastical heritage in Pohorelská Maša its own character.

The folklore festival “Dedina ako klenotnica” is also part of Pohorelá’s cultural life and takes place regularly. Editions were held on 13 July 2024, 12 July 2025 and 18 July 2026.

Pohorelské vrchovisko

The Pohorelské vrchovisko Nature Reserve lies within Pohorelá’s cadastral area and in the protection zone of Nízke Tatry National Park. It is covered by peat-bog plant communities as well as a marshy willow, alder and birch forest.

For geographical orientation: the nature reserve is near the state highway and the railway line between Brezno and Červená Skala.

A Saddle and a Chapel: Two Different Highlights

Ždiarske sedlo is a saddle of importance to tourists and a crossing over the main ridge of the Kráľovohoľské Tatry from Pohorelá to Liptovská Teplička. On the southern slope of the saddle, at the edge of the forest beside the path to Pohorelá, there is a spring, a five-minute walk from the saddle. The saddle, crossing and spring are the specific geographical landmarks here.

The Chapel of Sedembolestná Panna Mária offers a different focus. It stands east of Pohorelá in a field, beside a farm track between Pohorelá and Pohorelská Maša. The chapel site is a place of quiet and prayer, offering views across the Horehronské podolie and the lower peaks of the Nízke Tatry. While the saddle is notable for the crossing over the main ridge and the nearby spring, the chapel is distinguished by its place of prayer and its views.

Discover more destinations: Michalová, Valaská, Telgárt, Vaľkovňa, Závadka nad Hronom, Bystrá, Braväcovo, Beňuš

For the wider travel overview: Brezno District.