Iron Forging Museum

The small town of Kropa lies in the valley of the River Sava between Jesenice and Kranj. Iron has been worked in the area since the 14th century and it is known as the ‘cradle of Slovenian ironmaking’. The area’s speciality has been the forging of nails, which range in size from the tiny tacks used in the manufacture of mountain boots to spikes up to 70 cm long employed in the construction of dams. More than a thousand people were employed in forges in the area in the 19th century. The work of Kropa’s smiths can be seen in the streets of the town in lamp brackets, shutters, ornamental fencing and fountains. The Museum of Iron Forging was established in 1952 in the 4-storey Klinar mansion in the town square that was once the home of a family of ironmasters. Its displays illustrate many aspects of ironworking, and include notable works of art by local smiths as well as 94 different types of nail. Displays of hand forging can be arranged for visiting groups at Vigenjc Vice, a timber and brick smithy used from the 18th century until the mid-20th century which belongs to the museum.

Iron Forging Museum
Kovaski Msej Kropa
Kropa 10
4245 Kropa
Slovenia
+386 (0) 4533 - 7200
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