Železniki
Encyclopedia
Železniki is a small town and a municipality in Slovenia
. It is the economic centre and the largest settlement in the Selca Valley. It used to be known for iron smelting
, and its name in Slovene indicates a relation to ironworks
. The first furnace
was mentioned in 1422, and the original furnace was replaced in 1826 by a blast furnace which ceased operating in about 1902. Certain relatively large factories are based in Železniki, including Alples
, Domel and Niko. These firms sponsor local sports teams such as the Alples handball
team, football team NK Železniki and the Galaks floorball
team.
The architecture of the old part of the settlement is mainly from the 17th century. The main attraction in the town is its museum with exhibits related to ironworking and other local activities. Part of the original smelting furnace is preserved outside the museum and also appears in the coat of arms of the town.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. It is the economic centre and the largest settlement in the Selca Valley. It used to be known for iron smelting
History of ferrous metallurgy
The history of ferrous metallurgy began far back in prehistory. The earliest surviving iron artifacts, from the 5th millennium BC in Iran and 2nd millennium BC in China, were made from meteoritic iron-nickel. It is not known when or where the smelting of iron from ores began, but by the end of the...
, and its name in Slovene indicates a relation to ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
. The first furnace
Furnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
was mentioned in 1422, and the original furnace was replaced in 1826 by a blast furnace which ceased operating in about 1902. Certain relatively large factories are based in Železniki, including Alples
Alples
Alples is the leading middle price furniture manufacturer in Slovenia. It was established in 1955 as Medzadružno lesno industrijsko podjetje Češnjica in 1955 and renamed to its current name in 1969. Its headquarters are located in Železniki. It has 330 employees and a revenue of 30 million euros...
, Domel and Niko. These firms sponsor local sports teams such as the Alples handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
team, football team NK Železniki and the Galaks floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
team.
The architecture of the old part of the settlement is mainly from the 17th century. The main attraction in the town is its museum with exhibits related to ironworking and other local activities. Part of the original smelting furnace is preserved outside the museum and also appears in the coat of arms of the town.
External links
- Municipality web site
- Železniki - Slovenia Landmarks. Includes virtual panoramas.
- Spletna stran floorball kluba Galaks