Places to visit

Hydro-power Station in Ľubochňa

The historical hydro-power station is situated in the town of Ľubochňa, approximately 14 km away from the centre of Ružomberok. After a hundred years, it still runs with the original technical installations with only minor modifications.

It was built in 1904 at the location of a hammer mill for iron processing. The canal which originally supplied water to the hammer mill, was later used for the power station. The canal is over 500 metres long.

The power station consists of a turbine hall, a water distribution centre and an inflow canal with a signal tower and a culvert. The turbine hall has a rectangular floor plan. It is divided into three rooms: an engine room with a substation and two operating rooms. That is where the electricity is produced.

The installations were supplied by Ganz company and they have been essentially preserved to this day. The power station also has two large Francis turbines, about which they say that even professor Kaplan, a designer of modern-day turbines, stopped to admire them during the tour of the power station with his students. An interesting fact is that the turbines were initially placed outside, because the power station building was not yet finished. There they were exposed to adverse weather conditions. In addition, there is also a small turbine, which serves for activation of the two main turbines.

The water distribution centre is located in a smaller rectangular building uphill from the turbine hall.

In the past, the power station served to propel electric locomotives of the forest narrow-gauge railway running through the Ľubochnianska Valley. It is interesting that this forest railway was the first electrified railway of this type in Central Europe. The power station also supplied electricity to a nearby sawmill, a spa, and the lighting of the town. In the 60’s, the power station and the railway were shut down. The station then continued to deteriorate for many years, the roof fell down, a part of the premises was turned into a dump.

In the 90’s, the power station was renovated and currently it is in operation and it supplies electricity to the public network. The historical elements from the time when it was built have been preserved. Water is led to the power station through the inflow canal. At the beginning of the inflow canal, the Ľubochnianka River splits into two streams. One part flows into the inflow canal and the other part continues along the bed of the Ľubochnianka River. The underground outflow canal is 500 metres long. It flows into the main channel by the park.

A tour of the power station can be arranged. At the premises, there are panel displays with information about the history of this technical monument.