Krompachy

Krompachy (German: Krompach, Hungarian: Korompa) is a town in Slovakia, with a rich mining and metallurgical history, well-known both in Slovakia and in its close neighboring countries for its Plejsy ski center.

History

It is believed that the town was founded at some point in the mid 14th century.

From then onwards, it was a centre of mining and metallurgy until the end of the 20th century, particularly focussed on the iron and copper industries. At the start of the 20th century, the Krompachy Ironworks (Krompašská železiareň) had around 3,500 employees and was the biggest ironworks of its time in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Ironworks closed after World War I.

In 1921, there was a bloody uprising, known as the Krompachy Uprising (Slovak: Krompašská vzbura) in the town.

Since 1991, following the industrial decline and as a result of large scale investment, Plejsy became an internationally visited alpine ski centre and became known as a holiday destination.

Tourism

As well as the skiing centre at Plejsy, Krompachy is known for its scenery of hills, valleys and fields. This, together with a number of local natural and cultural sites, have made the town a year-round tourist destination.