Utekáč () is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

Poltár District Poltár District (''okres Poltár'') is a district in the south of the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, U ...

in the

Banská Bystrica Region The Banská Bystrica Region (, ; , ) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest of the eight regions by area, and has a lower population density than any other region. The Banská Bystrica Region was established in 1923; its bord ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. In the middle of Veporské vrchy, in the narrow valley of the Rimavica river, the village Utekáč is situated. Its name is derived from the ''útek'' (meaning ''escape'') of Hungarian king Bela IV ahead of the Tatars.

History

The first mention about Utekáč is from the year 1593. Before the establishment of independent

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

in 1918, it was part of

Gömör and Kishont County Gömör-Kishont (, , ) was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its capital was Rimaszombat (present-day Rimavská Sobota). Most of its territory is now part of Slovakia, while a smaller ...

within the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the

Slovak Republic Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's ...

. Development of Utekáč began in 1787 when earl Forgáč came to the territory. He built up a few

glassworks Glass production involves two main methods – the float glass process that produces sheet glass, and glassblowing that produces bottles and other containers. It has been done in a variety of ways during the history of glass. Glass container p ...

from which just the biggest – Clara – is preserved. Aboriginal inhabitants of the glasswork's colony moved in families of glassworks experts from Germany, Hungary, Bohemia and Moravia. Modern history began on 1 January 1993 with establishment of the separate village. Utekáč was only an industrial part of the village Kokava nad Rimavicou before. With its industrial and housing development it is a small town now. Its villages Salajka, Drahová, Havrilovo, Dlhá Lúka, Ďurkovka, Bánik, Nad Rimava and Cisársko are typical mountain settlements of original folk architecture character. The residences in the village Salajka are Finnish wooden storeyed houses. From the historic point of view, there is the dominant mansion of Earl Forgáč and a Chapel of Saint Anton Paduánsky that also serves as the tomb of the Kuchynka family – the owners of glassworks. In Drahová and Havrilovo there are interesting small chapels. A trio of

fujara The fujara () is a large wind instrument of the tabor pipe class. It originated in central Slovakia as a sophisticated folk shepherd's overtone fipple flute of unique design in the contrabass range. Ranging from 160 to 200 cm long (5' ...

makers and fujarists, the Kubincs brought the village fame. During the II. World War and SNP there were severe fighting on the village's territory. The memorial of fallen in local park and the vale of Nikolaj Chmelnický with three memorials characterize events from that period. Lovers of hiking, mushroom picking, hunting and fishing will enjoyed the vicinity. The village has a suitable location for development of tourism, forest tourism and farming. There are excellent conditions for running tracks and downhill skiing – ski tows are directly in Utekáč and in the vicinity. Attractions: Folk crafts, Glass tradition, Tourist march "Utekáčska horská tridsiatka", "Utekáčska horská stovka", Ski tow.

References

External links

* * Villages and municipalities in Poltár District {{BanskáBystrica-geo-stub