Banská Bystrica · Slovakia

Banská Štiavnica

The silver town at the center of an ancient volcano: two castles facing each other, miners’ houses on the slopes, a Baroque calvary at the top of the hill and lakes built for the mines.

Central Slovakia

In the photo: Banská Štiavnica seen from Kalvária hill.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Send your photos

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Banská Štiavnica is a small town of about 10,000 inhabitants in central Slovakia, built on the slopes of the caldera of an ancient volcano in the Štiavnické vrchy hills. From the 13th to the 18th century, the region’s silver and gold mines were among the most productive in Europe, and the wealth shows in the churches, merchants’ houses and the two castles that look across the valley at one another.

The town was also a technical center. Miners developed pumping machines and the use of gunpowder in the galleries here, and in 1762 Empress Maria Theresa established the Mining Academy in Banská Štiavnica, one of the first higher technical schools in Europe. To power the machines, about 60 artificial lakes, the tajchy, were built around the area and connected by channels; roughly one third of them still stand and today are used for swimming in summer.

The historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the technical monuments around it, is explored on foot, but it’s full of slopes. Between the Holy Trinity Square and the Town Hall Square are the Old Castle, St. Catherine’s Church and the town hall with its clock. On the other side of the valley is the New Castle, and on the top of Scharffenberg hill to the east is the Baroque Calvary. The Open-Air Mining Museum to the south takes visitors underground.

The town has its own cultural life, with cafés, galleries and festivals. The best-known event is the Salamander Parade in September, a nighttime miners’ procession through the streets of the center.

This destination brings together 1 city: Banská Štiavnica.

Share: WhatsApp

Traveler, share your experiences through photos Up to 5 photos of each place you visited.

One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Banská Štiavnica is

Boundaries: geoBoundaries (dados do OpenStreetMap, licença ODbL). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Banská Štiavnica

✈ Letisko M. R. Štefánika – Airport Bratislava (BTS), in Bratislava · 165 km to Banská Štiavnica

By car, about 165 km from Bratislava via the R1 and Žarnovica, and 60 km from Banská Bystrica. By train, there is a branch line that leaves from Hronská Dúbrava with a change, and the station is below the center. Buses connect the town with Bratislava, Zvolen and Banská Bystrica.

Banská Bystrica · Banská Štiavnica

Banská Štiavnica

Former silver-mining town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the slopes of an extinct volcano. The center includes the Old Castle, which began as a Romanesque church, Holy Trinity Square with the plague column and, on the other side of the valley, the New Castle. On the eastern hill stands the Baroque Calvary; to the south, the Open-Air Mining Museum leads into the underground galleries.

The local experience

Things to do in Banská Štiavnica

Banská Štiavnica · Banská Bystrica · Castle and museum

Old Castle (Banská Štiavnica)

Old 13th-century Romanesque church converted into a fortress against the Turks, on the slope above the Holy Trinity Square. Today it is part of the Slovak Mining Museum, with exhibitions and summer courtyard theatre.

Banská Štiavnica · Banská Bystrica · Fortress and museum

New Castle (Banská Štiavnica)

Fortified tower from 1571, with four bastions at the corners, on a hill opposite the centre, built against the Turks. It houses the exhibition about the Turkish wars and offers views over the whole town.

Banská Štiavnica · Banská Bystrica · Historic square

Holy Trinity Square (Banská Štiavnica)

The sloping square in the centre of Banská Štiavnica, with the Baroque Holy Trinity column, erected in the 18th century after a plague epidemic, and the houses of wealthy merchants and mine owners.

Banská Štiavnica · Banská Bystrica · Museum

Open-air Mining Museum Banská Štiavnica

Mining museum south of the centre, with buildings and machines from an old surface mine and a guided descent, with a helmet, to the underground galleries from the Ondrej shaft.

See 1 more place in Banská Štiavnica

Banská Štiavnica · Banská Bystrica · Religious complex and viewpoint

Calvary of Banská Štiavnica

Baroque Calvary on Scharffenberg Hill, east of the centre, built between 1744 and 1751, with three churches and about twenty chapels on the slope of an old volcanic chimney and views over the Štiavnica caldera.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From May to September, with warm days and the tajchy open for swimming in July and August. September has the Salamander Parade and less heat. In winter the town becomes quiet, with snow on the slopes, and some museums reduce their hours.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Two days: one for the center, the two castles and Holy Trinity Square; another for the Calvary and the Open-Air Mining Museum. With a third day, in summer you can spend the afternoon at one of the lakes.

Which city to stay in

The historic center, between Holy Trinity Square and Town Hall Square, has guesthouses in old houses and leaves everything within walking distance, though on slopes. The streets that go down to the station are quieter. If you prefer nature, you can stay near the lakes, such as Počúvadlo, about 12 km away by car.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Banská Štiavnica

How many days should you stay in Banská Štiavnica?

Two days allow you to see the two castles, the center, the Calvary and the Open-Air Mining Museum. In summer, a third day lets you enjoy the surrounding lakes.

How to get to Banská Štiavnica?

By car, about 165 km from Bratislava and 60 km from Banská Bystrica. By train, via a branch line with a change at Hronská Dúbrava; there are also buses from Bratislava and Zvolen.

Do you need a car in Banská Štiavnica?

Not for getting around the center: distances are short, though hilly. A car helps for visiting the lakes and for getting there, since trains and buses have few direct schedules.

Can you do a day trip from Bratislava to Banská Štiavnica?

It’s possible by car, with about two hours of driving each way, but the day will be short. Ideally you should spend at least one night in the town.

What are the tajchy of Banská Štiavnica?

Artificial lakes built in the 16th–18th centuries to power the mining machines. Of the roughly 60 originals, about one third still exist and are used for swimming in summer; the largest is Počúvadlianske jazero.

Explore other destinations Search by state and city

Banská Štiavnica

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.