WHEN someone mentions Detva, the image that pops into everyone's head is of unique folklore, especially in the architecture and beautiful folk costumes.
Detva is located in pristine countryside, and shares a lot of the traditions of the secluded shepherd settlements around it.
The village was founded in 1638 during the Wallachian colonisation, when shepherds from modern-day Romania settled in its uninhabited hills. The immigrants cut down forests to make fields in which they raised sheep, which is how the profession first started there.
As a result, the first production of bryndza, a salty sheep cheese typical of Slovakia, began in Detva in 1783.
This postcard from 1930 shows the region's development. The distinctive building on the side of the street is the local branch of the central bank.
