Since the beginning of October, and the autumn-winter season operating model of metallurgical facility “Samokovo” will work only on request to e-mail: samokovtouristcenter@mail.bg or telephone +359885 83 83 80!

In 2015 was rebuilt an operating model of the metallurgical facility for iron processing obtained in primary  furnaces, also called “Samokovo” or “Madan”, used from 14-15th century to the early 20th century. Samokov has occurred gradually around the former facilities “Samokovo”, which gave the name of the town.

Samokov region is one of the famous areas of the medieval iron production industry in Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula with excellent conditions for iron production: iron ore, water, vast forests for coal and firewood, good specialists, free labor  and markets.

The facilities “Samokovo“ are  large buildings. In their great room with fireplace were blowing  apparatus and a large hammer. The bellows were moved using a wheel with a diameter of 3 meters. The most important part of the the “Samokovo” was the hammer called “mlat” or “Samokovo”. The hummer was moved  with the help of another wheel size (1.5 – 2 m in diameter), which was called “machno kolo”(hard wheel) because of difficult enforcement of hammer. Both wheels are driven by the power of water that is collected in a wooden tank.

One “Samokovo”  was manned by eight people – two masters, four employees and two apprentices. They worked in two shifts –day and night. The manufactured iron rods were taken into the town.

The work of “Samokovo”   continued from March to Christmas.

For the Middle Ages the facilities “Samokovo“ were important engineering and technical facility and had great technical, business and economic importance.