Banská Štiavnica District: Hotels and Accommodation

Banská Štiavnica is where Europe's first Mining and Forestry Academy was founded in 1762.

You may wish to book a hotel for your stay in Banská Štiavnica District.

Culture

Since 1993, Salamandrové dni has been held every year in the second week of September. The programme includes a historical Salamander procession, music, a traditional fair, exhibitions, and activities for children and families.

The preserved town centre of Banská Štiavnica was shaped in the 16th century. It includes magnificent late Gothic and Renaissance burgher houses, the town hall, and the late Gothic Church of St Catherine. The Old Castle of Banská Štiavnica serves as a museum and features, among other things, exhibitions on pipes and shooting targets. The New Castle of Banská Štiavnica is also used as a museum, houses an exhibition on the battles against the Ottomans, and offers a beautiful view of the town.

Banskoštiavnická Calvary is an extensive Baroque complex on a hillside above the town. It comprises three churches, nineteen chapels, and a cross with a sculptural group depicting the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The visitor route through the complex begins in the lower part of the site, passes the chapels to the Upper Church, and then descends again on the other side of the hill.

History

The Banské múzeum v prírode offers tours of original mining areas and presents the development of ore mining in Central Europe from the Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. Its above-ground exhibition combines technical mining monuments with a geological exhibition comprising 70 stations.

The Kammerhof was built gradually from the 12th century onwards and was the seat of the chief chamber count's office in the 16th century. Today, it houses the information centre of the Slovak Mining Museum, with minerals, souvenirs, representative publications, and information materials. The Kammerhof also presents the history of mining, technology, and the everyday lives of miners.

A drainage adit from the 14th century runs beneath the centre of Banská Štiavnica and can also be entered by families with children over six years of age.

Nature

The World Heritage area encompasses the surrounding landscape, with remnants of gold and silver mining within the Štiavnické vrchy Protected Landscape Area.

The Banskoštiavnický Geopark is located in Banská Štiavnica District and covers an area of 374 km². It contains a total of 156 sites; the Štiavnické vrchy Protected Landscape Area also extends into the geopark.

At 1,009 metres, Sitno is the best-known and highest mountain in the Štiavnické vrchy.

Getting There

Banská Štiavnica can be reached from the R1 expressway and the main railway lines in approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

The following locality pages are available for further geographical navigation: Dekýš, Štiavnické Bane, Ilija, Banský Studenec, Banska Stiavnica, Banska Bela, Svätý Anton, Vysoká.

For the higher-level travel overview: Banská Bystrica.