Banská Štiavnica
Slovakia · Banská Bystrica Region · 620 m
Description
Banská Štiavnica is a mining town built inside a collapsed volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, once one of the richest silver towns in Europe and the seat of the world's first mining academy. Its houses climb the slopes in tiers around a square, with two castles, an old and a new one, standing on separate hills. A system of artificial lakes called “tajchy” was dug to power the mine pumps and is now used for swimming. The Calvary, a baroque pilgrimage route, climbs a cone above the town. Nothing in the town is flat, and every walk is uphill or down.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 4 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Historic mining town (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Calvary above the town
- Old Castle and New Castle
- Tajchy mining lakes for swimming (June - August)
- Open-air mining museum and the shaft tour
- Trinity Square and the plague column
- First mining academy in the world
- Sitno hill and the caldera rim
- Glanzenberg medieval mine under the town
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Banská Štiavnica, Banský Studenec, Banská Belá