Heľpa is quite a big village situated on the right bank of the Hron river, in the middle of the Heľpa basin, at the southern slope of the Veľká Vápenica peak. It has a big historical and cultural importance.
The village was originally a part of the Muráň county. It was founded on basis of the Walachian Law at the beginning of the 16-th century. In the 17-th century it expanded greatly. Majority of the locals were shepherds, sheep keepers, cheese producers, manufacturers of shepherd dishes, weavers and wood-cutters. Iron ore was mined here by the end of the 18-th century. Later most of the population worked in woods, sawmills and the iron-works in Podbrezová.
In the village, there is a Roman-catholic church built in the late-baroque style (1800) and a late-baroque vicarage building from the year 1793.
Karol Plicka, the Slovak national artist, recorded the peculiar nature of Heľpa´s folk culture on pictures, movies and a large number of national monographs. Festival of folk music "Upper-Hron Days of Dances and Songs" has been organised in the village since 1963.
Some old local people still wear traditional folk costume. Also some of the original rustic houses with cellars and shingle roofs are still inhabited.
