Kremnica is a small, historic town in the Kremnica Mountains. In the past, it was one of the most important ore mining centers in Slovakia. The royal mint was also located here. Thanks to its wealth, the city has beautiful buildings centered around the city castle.
The origins of Kremnica are related to gold mining in the surrounding mountains. At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, the then Hungarian king Karol Robert granted the city numerous privileges, including the right to mint a coin, which contributed to the rapid development and enrichment of the center. In the Middle Ages, Kremnica was the head of the union of seven Slovak mining towns, known as the Heptapolithi.
The historic buildings are proof of the former glory of Kremnica. In its center is the city castle surrounded by double defensive walls. It was the seat of the manager of the mining and coinage chamber. Within the castle there is also the church of St. Catherine, a gothic building with rich interior fittings.
Below the castle there is the Old Town with numerous residential houses from the Middle Ages, as well as from the 16th and 17th centuries. Stefanika Square, which serves as the market square, is a representative place. A magnificent baroque Holy Trinity Column stands here. A unique structure is the fifteenth century, the oldest mint in the world operating. The mining and minting traditions of the city can be found in the Museum of Coins and Medals.
