Lukovištia: Ivan Krasko, local history and landscape

Lukovištia lies at the foot of 438-metre-high Bankov in the Revúcka vrchovina. The village brings together the memory of poet Ivan Krasko, a long history of craftsmanship and distinctive church architecture. An challenging cycling route also passes through Lukovištia. These themes offer different ways to get to know the village: through Krasko’s memorial sites, the community’s historic traces or the landscape around Bankov.

Ivan Krasko in the village

A memorial plaque marks Ivan Krasko’s birthplace in Lukovištia; the house is privately occupied. Ivan Krasko Park is located in the public square in front of the birthplace and is maintained by the municipality. A second memorial room dedicated to Krasko has been in Lukovištia since 2008. A bust of the poet stands on a plinth in front of the former school, which closed in 2002. The bronze monument “Topole” by Alina Ferdinandy stands above Ivan Krasko’s grave. The memorial room adds to the range of ways in which Krasko is commemorated.

History and local traces

The mining colonisation of Malohont in the 13th century preceded the founding of Lukovištia. Another strand of the village’s history is the settlement of colonists from the old Republic of Genoa, in what is now Liguria. This is reflected in old Italian family names passed down through the generations, as well as in the names of fields, forests and hills. Craftsmanship also shaped the village: Lukovištia became a centre of tanning. The Malohont tanners’ guild operated there without interruption from 1640 until the 1870s. The traces in the names and the tanners’ guild offer different perspectives: one is found in family and landscape names, while the other represents a long-established, organised craft.

Church and community day

The Evangelical Church stands in the centre of the village. It was fully restored in 2010 and continues to serve its religious purpose. The Baroque-Classical building dates from 1794 and has a painted wooden coffered ceiling. The interior also includes a wooden Baroque choir dating from the late 18th century and a Classical organ with richly polychrome carved wooden decoration. The building reveals several stylistic influences: the Baroque design of the choir and the Classical form of the organ sit alongside its Baroque-Classical architecture.

The community day is also part of local cultural life and traditionally takes place in July, the month of Ivan Krasko’s birth. At the 2024 community day, local bobbin lace-makers performed a play featuring humorous episodes from the lives of residents. This item on the programme combines lace-making with a humorous portrayal of community life.

Landscape and orientation

The Teplý Vrch–Maginhrad cycling route passes through Lukovištia. It follows paved sections and field tracks in the pleasant shade of the surrounding forest and is considered challenging. This is useful to bear in mind when planning a cycling trip. The main road also helps with orientation: it leads from the Rimavská Baňa valley to Lukovištia, then around Bankov to Drienčany and Teplý Vrch. The village can therefore be understood in relation to both the named cycling route and the course of the road through the surrounding landscape.

Discover more destinations: Hnúšťa, Babinec, Bátka, Kaloša, Číž, Horné Zahorany, Štrkovec, Padarovce.

For the broader travel overview: Rimavská Sobota District.