Banska Stiavnica: Holiday apartment between UNESCO World Heritage and mining history

Banská Štiavnica is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity”. The preserved historic town centre of Banská Štiavnica dates back to the 16th century.

Culture and history

Several eras converge at the Starý zámok: the complex combines a Romanesque basilica, Gothic elements, a Renaissance fortress and Baroque art. The same building houses the archaeological exhibition “Baníci prichádzajú…”. The Nový zámok is a Renaissance fortress built between 1564 and 1571 against the Ottomans and also served as a watchtower. Its exhibition explores the military situation and weaponry of the fortresses built against the Ottomans, displays weapons of the Hungarian and Turkish armies and presents painted shooting targets.

Another visitor attraction is the historic Kammerhof. Here, visitors can trace the development of Slovak mining from archaeological finds to modern technologies. The exhibition presents mining work from the earliest archaeological finds through to the 20th century. The Calvary of Banská Štiavnica is also part of the town’s cultural landscape: it is a Baroque sacred complex connected with its natural surroundings.

Mining

The Banské múzeum v prírode is located about 1 km from the town centre, below the Tajch Klinger, and offers tours of original mine workings. It presents the development of ore mining in Central Europe from the Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. The underground exhibition includes a horse-powered gápel. This is the only preserved cable hoisting machine of this type in Slovakia.

At the Dedičná štôlňa Glanzenberg, an accessible section is 500 m long and reaches a depth of 32 m. There is also a memorial plaque commemorating the visit of Emperor Franz Stephan of Lorraine in 1751.

Landscape

The Štiavnické Vrchy Protected Landscape Area safeguards the natural surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage site to which Banská Štiavnica belongs. Under Act No. 543/2002 Coll., it forms a buffer zone covering 62,128 ha. The Tajch Klinger is one of the water reservoirs closest to the centre of Banská Štiavnica.

Educational trails

The Milan Kapusta educational trail begins at the Červená studňa saddle and is an easy, 6.1 km hiking trail along the Terézia ore vein. It passes the Tajch Ottergrund and offers views of Banská Štiavnica and its distinctive buildings. The starting point at Červená studňa can be reached on foot from Trinity Square in about 45 minutes via a green-marked route covering approximately 1.5 km.

The Kysihýbel educational trail is an easy, 6.5 km route. It begins about 400 m beyond the town sign at the edge of Banská Štiavnica and leads to the Feismantel Garden. Along the way, it passes a red rhyolite quarry and an underground andesite quarry.

Getting around locally

The main sights in the centre of Banská Štiavnica can be visited on foot; expect hilly terrain in the historic centre. The Informačné centrum Banská Štiavnica provides information about the town and free basic maps. The information centre also provides information about cultural monuments, museums, exhibitions, events and excursion tips.

Further destinations: Štiavnické Bane, Dekýš, Svätý Anton, Banský Studenec, Kozelník, Vysoká, Podhorie, Ilija.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Banská Štiavnica.