Blacksmithing Museum

The Blacksmithing Museum in Kropa showcases the processing of iron from iron ore to a nail. In addition to a technical and historical display of hand-forging, it also presents the way of life in Kropa and its surroundings. The museum features an exhibition of artistically forged works created by Kropa blacksmith master Joža Bertoncelj.

The Klinar House, which houses the museum, is a typical ironworks building from the late 18th century. The former salon features a preserved wooden coffered Baroque ceiling with three oil paintings. The first floor presents the basics of ironworking in Kropa, Kamna Gorica, and Kolnica. Models demonstrate the operation of the ironworks and water-powered blacksmith’s bellows, as well as a typical blacksmith’s shop for making nails—the vigenjc. A large model in the salon depicts Kropa in the first half of the 19th century. The second floor features an ethnological room showcasing the daily and festive life of Kropa’s blacksmiths, along with a collection of 94 hand-forged nails of various sizes and shapes. The Blacksmithing Museum also features a screening room where you can watch the documentary films by Milka and Metod Badjur, *Koledniki* and *Kroparski kovači*. Every summer, the museum hosts a temporary exhibition on the theme of Krop and its surroundings.

Parts of the exhibition are translated into English and German. Guided tours in Slovenian, German, or English are available for organized groups upon prior notice. Groups can also visit the preserved blacksmith’s shop of Vice Vigenjc in Kropi, where they will demonstrate the hand-forging of nails.