Holiday apartment in Kremnické Bane – architectural heritage and mining history

Kremnické Bane lies in the Kremnica Mountains, in a valley at an altitude of 700 to 800 m above sea level. The village originated as a German mining settlement and was first mentioned in 1361.

Location and history

Part of Kremnické Bane was designated a rural heritage conservation zone by Regulation No. 1/1994 of the District Office of Žiar nad Hronom in order to preserve the cultural values of the village permanently. This designation is connected with a villagescape in which historic buildings and the mining past are closely intertwined.

Culture

One of the notable buildings is the Church of St. John the Baptist, “Kostol sv. Jána Krstiteľa,” a three-nave Gothic building from the second half of the 13th century. It was originally built as a Romanesque rotunda; much of the star-ribbed vault of its 15th-century rotunda has survived to this day. Above the village, next to this Gothic church, there is a symbolic geographical centre of Europe.

Another historic trace is the Chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, “Kaplnka Narodenia Panny Márie.” It was originally a Baroque chapel dating from 1726 and was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style in 1910. Its interior contains a folk wood carving of Saint John of Nepomuk from the 18th century. The village also includes an ensemble of one- and two-storey miners’ houses with hipped roofs covered with shingles, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The history of textile crafts is also part of the local heritage. In the 1890s, Kremnické Bane had an institutionally organised lace-making school. During the Austro-Hungarian period, the village became a centre of lace production. A 20-km-long mining water conduit from the 15th century carries water to the reservoirs of Kremnické Bane and complements this picture of historic technical infrastructure.

Landscape

Near the church lies the rock formation Trnovník, also known as Dornstein or Dorn Stein. At 990 m, it is the highest point in the local cadastral area. From Trnovník, views extend south as far as Banská Štiavnica and north towards the ridge of the Malá Fatra.

Hiking

The “Cesta hrdinov SNP” hiking trail passes through Kremnické Bane and branches off there towards the Church of St. John the Baptist, “Kostol sv. Jána Krstiteľa.” This connects the village to a nationally named trail route, whose local branch leads to the historic church building.

The “Po stopách baníckej činnosti Kremnica–Kremnické Bane” educational trail system consists of three main trails and three secondary trails and presents the mining history of the region. Along this educational trail, only the ruins of the original miners’ houses remain today.

Events

Every year during the carnival season, a masked procession takes place in Kremnické Bane. Traditional goulash is among the food served at the annual Jánska vatra celebration.

Other places

Other village pages: Hliník Nad Hronom, Kosorín, Lúčky, Trnavá Hora, Stará Kremnička, Dolná Ždaňa, Nevoľné, Krahule.

For the higher-level travel overview: Žiar Nad Hronom.