Unique forest railway is threatened, prompting petition

Banská Bystrica Region may lose one of its seven wonders, and Slovakia a national cultural monument.

The end of the line? The unique forest railway in Čierny Balog may be derailed by a property dispute.The end of the line? The unique forest railway in Čierny Balog may be derailed by a property dispute. (Source: chz.sk)

The operators of one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Banská Bystrica Region, one that attracts roughly 70,000 tourists and carries more than 130,000 passengers a year, are fighting for its preservation.

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The unique Čiernohronská Železnica narrow gauge-railway (ČHŽ), which has been a national cultural monument since 1982 and was declared one of the seven wonders of the Banská Bystrica region in 2011, has become embroiled in a property dispute.

Over the summer, a property developer from Orava, acting without prior warning, used gravel to cover the rails that pass through land he had acquired.

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According to information published by members of the non-governmental organisation ČHŽ, no resolution has yet been reached.

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