An old mining town in which a varied spectrum of mining ores and minerals (silver, gold, copper, cobalt, nickel and quick silver) have been mined since it was founded in 1326.
The mining industry in the town was radically reduced in the 19-th century. In 1680 the first blast-furnace in Slovakia was built in Dobšiná. Metallurgical production was almost completely stopped by the end of the 19-th century.
In the north, there is a water reservoir of Dobšiná with a water power-station pumping water into the dam of Palcmanská Maša. In the historical centre of the town you can find several houses built in the Classicist style.
Especially remarkable is an originally late Baroque church built in the 15-th century. In the centre, there is a Town-hall built in Neo-renaissance style in 1870. The relics from formerly forging settlements, from a mill and a saw-mill can still be found around the town.
Lániho Huta - nowadays it is a settlement of cottages and a holiday resort; whereas in the past it was a large complex of metallurgical industry founded by Pavol Láni (1670-1733). Pavol Láni (in Hungarian Pavol Lanyi) worked as a lawyer, a regional officer and a businessman in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1696 he was awarded a lord status. He also served as a regional deputy of František Rákoci II. who was a vicegerent of the Slovak Gemer region and a co-worker of a famous Slovak scientist Matej Bel.
Pavol Lani settled in the village of Dobšiná where he established 2 blast furnaces and bought local mines. Soon, he became a reference person in the copper and iron mining business. In 1723, he produced his own paper money and used them for his personal needs. Small, round, with diameter of about 3 cm and stamped by his signet ring with a seal of his coat-of-arms, “Lani´s money” were the first paper money in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.
