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On first sight this looks like an economically deprived village that has been left behind as the world moved on. However, dig a little deeper and you will find a rich and varied history. The geology of the area was responsible for the early prosperity as metals including gold and silver were mined here. This supported a thriving industry. The most famous products were probably footwear and cow bells, yes the sort you find hanging from the neck of a Swiss cow. There is still one craftsman producing these bells using a process learned from his grandfather. The geology is also something of a curse. A couple of miles north of the town is a large magnesite mine/factory. For a large part of the twentieth century this spread dust far and wide and contributed to the decline of Jelsava. However, for the last twenty years or so environmental standards have risen dramatically and the surrounding forests have been steadily recovering. An EU grant has enabled the creation of an interesting museum and an ambitious project is underway to restore what used to be a magnificent mansion in the town centre once owned by the Coburg family, to which Queen Elizabeth II is distantly related. A few miles East of town is one of the four UNESCO world heritage sites in Slovakia. This is a cave that opened to the public in 1972 and contains the rare crystal Aragonite. The temperature in the cave is only about 8C but the tour only lasts about half an hour. The delicate crystals are remarkably well preserved thanks to CCTV which has prevented souvenir hunters.