Františkova huta, Classicist ironworks in Nižná, Slovakia.
Františkova huta is a classicist ironworks in Nižná with a preserved facade, triangular bays, and administrative buildings from the 1800s. The site includes a smelting furnace, iron hammer, drainage shafts, and other production buildings that show how a metal processing factory was organized.
The ironworks was founded in 1836 and helped industrialize the Orava region by producing iron materials for local and regional markets. It remained an important production center until mechanization and economic changes in the 1900s transformed the industry.
The site displays remains of the original iron hammer and smelting furnace that tell the story of Slovakia's metalworking craft. Visitors can still see walls and channels that show how workers once processed iron here.
The site is located about two kilometers southeast of Podbiel village along road II/584 toward Zuberec. It is best reached by car, but visitors should check beforehand if the grounds are open to the public.
The grounds still contain original water channels and ventilation shafts that show how early engineering controlled fire and steam to power production. These technical details are rarely visible elsewhere and give insight into how manufacturing actually worked then.
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