Organizacie / Granty / Casopisy / Publikacie / Kalendar / Legislativa

Kvacianska valley - Oblazy, Old mills and sawmill

Kvacianska valley

Kvacianska valley is situated in Northern Liptov, in the massif of hills of Chocské mountains. Together with the Prosiecka valley it forms a couple of nice and very much visited valleys.

The origin of the Kvacianska canyon is interesting in the fact that the catch area of affluents of Kvacianka - thus the brooks of Borovianka, Ráztocianka and Hutianka - is situated lower (by about 300 m) than adjacent mountains, which are cut by Kvacianka in the direction north - south. Kvacianka "excavated", similarly as its affluents, a romantic canyon into the growing massif of Chocské mountains.

With the exception of cliffs and rocky walls, the slopes of the valley are covered with continuous forests, which were never intensively economically utilized for their unavailability. The romantic half-dry flume of Borovianka brook is deeply cut into the limestones. At a low rate of flow it completely disappears in cracks, it dives and continues further as a dived flow forming underground passages.

Before the watersmeet of Borovianka and Hutianka there exits a wild Ráztocianka canyon, about 1 km long, probably the most beautiful valley in the vicinity. Just at its outfall into Hutianka there is an 8 m high waterfall with wooden ladder. The entire valley is extraordinary beautiful, in the original state of evolution. It is noted besides other for an occurrence of red limestones, out of flora for instance of naked cowslip or mountain sow thistle.

For its beauty, good state and unique nature, the valley was promulgated in 1967 as the State natural reservation (today it is the National Natural Reservation).

History of mills and sawmill

The place called Oblazy, situated at the watersmeet of Hutianka and Borovianka, is an ideal place for construction of mills, even if it does not seem in view of distance from villages. Namely only here the Kvacianka river, which originates by the confluence of the above mentioned three brooks, has a sufficient rate of water flow for the drive of mill equipment.

Originally there were built in the Kvacianska valley three mills, namely by three neighbouring villages: Svinarky (later Sviniarky, today Malé Borové), Velké Borové and Huty. The latter was constructed as first, on the place called Polana (approximately 400 m above the upper mill towards Huty). Today you cannot find this mill anymore, it was destructed during the water flood in 1913.

Additional two mills stand till today at Oblazy - the upper "Gejdoš's" and the lower "Brunciak's" over the brook. They are preserved almost untouched in their original extent, without disturbance of their cultural, landscape and also natural background (brook, race-way, fascines, roads, bridges), and in this way they are giving the evidence on life in this region between Liptov and Orava.

Upper mill

The upper mill - "Gejdoš's" - has three spaces on a stony wall-footing. The operation is ensured by a wooden water wheel, onto which is water led by an upper race-way. The mill was erected in the first half of 19th century by the village Svinarky. The shareholders had soon sold the mill, however, and there started a frequent change of owners and users.

Since 1920 there resided in the mill the married couple Pavol and Mária Gejdoš. They get acquainted themselves in Ukraine during first world war and then all their lives following youth they spent in the mill. They were milling flour out of oat and barley, they produced shingles, Mária sewed suits. They raised five children, all of them were born in the room of the upper mill.

Since 1960 Mária Gejdoš lived in the mill alone. Seventeen years the old lady has alone cooked for herself, took care of house and small field, kept one goat, cooked bread for herself, and everything without water line, gas, and in winter without any connection with the civilisation.

Lower mill

The lower mill - "Brunciak's" - was also erected in first half of 19th century, by the village Velké Borové. Unlucky, nothing is known about its first settlers today. On April 23., 1931 the mill was purchased from the village Velké Borové by František Brunciak from Kvacany for 200 Czechoslovak crowns.

Till this period the mill had two spaces, the room and the mill room. For drive it had two wheels situated after each other, which had driven not only two mill machines, but also an older type of sawmill - so called "valaška". František Brunciak has changed the mechanisms into geared transmissions, cancelled one of mill machines and let to erect in 1936 an advanced sawmill. In this way there was created the typical ground-plane in the shape of "L".

The Bruciaks had 7 children - four sons and three daughters, but the mill was indwelled only by father and his son Karol. They have lived and worked here until fifties, since the end of war they had (similarly as in the upper mill) also a dynamo connected to the wheel, thus there was also electricity in the mills - unidirectional current for lighting. In 1961 František Brunciak died and after some time the mill remained abandoned.

In the lower mill there was milled the same as in upper mill, oat and barley. To the race-way there was directed the entire brook so as to have enough power to drive the sawmill as well.

Reconstruction of mills

At the end of seventies the mills were already in such a bad state that they would hardly survive several winters. The state conservationists were not able to take care of these technical memorials, therefore there had to say their word voluntary protectionists of nature, especially from the Basic Organisation 6 of the Slovak Association of Protectors of Nature and Landscape - the group of people which was not known almost to anybody, which was not, and till now is not understood by many people (how they are able to work in their free time - and not for themselves?).

It was necessary to draw plans, to rebuild many parts of buildings, to change beams, to construct new roof, to lift the object by 60 cm, to rebuild dams ... during first five years of reconstruction works these volunteers have gratuitously worked there together about 12,000 hours during their free time.

Since 1985 the mill is watched by volunteer protectors, which are there during summers in the turns so as to watch the objects and to direct the tourists, as there are coming more and more of them to the mill. Since 1995 is the lower mill inhabited again also during winter.

And what about future ? Both mills should serve as a natural museum, thus alive, inhabited, but not closed for tourists, namely under auspices of professional projectionists from Liptovský Mikulᚠand voluntary projectionists of nature from Bratislava.

Made by: Municipal committee of Slovak Association of Protectors of Nature and Landscape (SZOPK), Godrova 3/b, 81106 Bratislava, tel./fax: 07/54413 968, e-mail: mvszopk@internet.sk, and the Basic Organisation No. 6 SZOPK. Compiled by: Vlado Mokrán. Foto: Archive of SZOPK. Year of issue: 1997. Translation: Pavel Mokrán sr.

You can support the reconstruction of mills in the Kvacianska valley by sending a financial contribution to our account in Slovenská sporitelna, the No. of account is 200547-019/0900. Thank you for your support.

This page was made in July 1997

Email : vmokran@internet.sk