Slovak blacksmiths gather to celebrate

Slovak blacksmiths gather here on Saturday for the 4th annual Jurcove Dni, celebrating the heritage of their guild.
Many have come to see the skills of Slovak and foreign artists with the festival continuing throughout the whole weekend.
The three-day event took place in the middle of the small historic city of Nitrianske Pravno, where blacksmiths, engravers, medalists and goldsmiths gathered.
Jurcove Dni festival is one of several gatherings of blacksmiths in Central Europe and in its fourth year.
Artists and spectators came to see Benedikt Jurco, the main organizer of the event and a teacher at the School of Applied Arts, in the nearby city of Kremnica.
Benedikt Jurco, a retired teacher of the Blacksmith class in the School of Applied Arts in Kremnica, has taught over 400 blacksmiths, who are working around the world.
"We have alumni in most European countries and they are regarded as the best in what they do," Jurco said.