Surrounded by the slopes of the Szczawnickie Mountains, Banská Štiavnica is one of the oldest mining centers in Slovakia. Its historic Old Town with two castles, city squares and several Gothic churches has been inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Often called the "silver city", Banská Štiavnica developed during the Middle Ages as a thriving center for gold and silver mining and processing. It was the main source of income for the city, which then belonged to the richest in Slovakia. In the mid-18th century, the first mining school was founded here in today's Slovakia.
The main monument of the city is now the Old Castle, in which you can see the Romanesque, thirteenth-century chapel of St. Michael and the 14th century Himmelreich bastion. Similarly to the neighboring New Castle, there is now a museum in which collections from the rich history of the city are presented.
The second of the important museums is located in Komorski Manor standing on the Holy Trinity Square. This is the Mining Museum, where you can learn about the history of precious metal mining in Banská Štiavnica, and also go down to historic adits.
The Holy Trinity Square forms the center of the former Banská Štiavnica along with the neighboring Town Hall Square. They are surrounded by historic burgher houses from different eras, and between them stands the Gothic church of St. Catherine. On the squares you can see baroque plague columns, the Holy Trinity and Mary's.
