Discover the subregion

Banská Štiavnica

The story of Miroslav Bahna, winemaker

Just over the Štiavnica Mountains, not far from his native village of Pukanec, Miroslav came to live in Banská Štiavnica. As a boy, he spent every summer here and when he grew older, he fulfilled his dream and moved here permanently. Together with his brother, they listened to their wise ancestors´ advice and returned to the family winemaking tradition. However, many Slovak wine connoisseurs did not know about the delicious beverages from these areas. The Bahna brothers therefore put the local wine producers together into the ViNOCENTRUM project and, along with the Štiavnica Wine Walk Festival, they contributed to spreading the word about the unique combination of the local character with the quality product of the local vineyards from the unique region to the whole world.

Discover the subregion

Banská Štiavnica

The story of Katarína Vošková, architect

Katarína’s journeys often led to Banská Štiavnica in the early stages of her career as an architect. Not only for the charm of the countryside, marked by centuries of mining, but also for the fascinating legacy of generations of Banská Štiavnica inhabitants, enchanted under a spell in the run-down monuments of the town and awaiting the breaking of the spell – the renewal and return of life into them. However, one of the monuments bothered her most from the very beginning: Many people knew about the unhappy condition of the Banská Štiavnica Calvary, but no one dared to restore it for years. But Katarína could not be discouraged and for more than a decade, together with other members of the Calvary Fund, she has been fighting hard against traces of relentless time and human indifference, so that Calvary shines again in its original beauty.

The Banská Štiavnica Subregion

Once upon a time, near the golden town of Banská Štiavnica, nature was extremely generous. People were able to reap this blessing in the past and contribute to it with their knowledge and creations. Here, the history of mining was written in bold scripts, impossible to overlook, and whoever wants to read it, must come here. It is not at all difficult to fall in love with these places where the author of the most famous Slovak love poem found his muse. This is evidenced by the decision of UNESCO to protect them, as well as the popularity of this destination among tourists and artists. The perfect combination of rich history and living cultural spirit in the embrace of beautiful nature simply cannot be resisted.

TOP 5 of The Banská Štiavnica Subregion

Not only lovers of technical and mining monuments, but also artists, nature lovers and lovers will enjoy themselves.

1. Calvary in Banská Štiavnica

The most impressive Baroque Calvary in Central Europe proudly sits on the volcanic hill called Scharfenberg. Banská Štiavnica Calvary has been the dominant sight of the mining town since 1744. Several thousand tourists visit it every year. In 1993, together with the town of Banská Štiavnica, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On the walls of the Calvary there are magnificent frescoes, thanks to which it is considered to be the most artistically exclusive Baroque building of its kind. From the town centre you can reach the top of the hill in less than 45 minutes.

2. The system of mines and adits

Štiavnica’s silver and gold became part of foreign treasures, but their conquest brought wealth to the region itself. While two lizards showed him to the shepherd in the legend, the local mining museums and expositions reveal him to today’s visitor. If you want to learn about the great championships, be sure not to miss the region called the Land of Miners.

3. Štiavnica tajchs (Štiavnické tajchy)

Once upon a time, miners settled a chain of unique artificial lakes – tajchs. This tamed the energy of the water and freed many people and horses from hard work underground. Today, people travel here mainly for relaxation – in a swimsuit, with a fishing rod, with skates, in a boat or on a bicycle.

4. Sitno Hill

No matter how bad it is in Slovakia, there will always be hope for liberation. According to legend, our rescuers – the Sitnian Knights – sleep right on the highest hill of the Štiavnica Hills. If you feel it’s time to wake them up, choose any of the paths that lead here. From the ruins of an ancient castle, all you have to do is show them the direction. Moreover, you can see this far and wide.

5. The manor house Svätý Anton

It was built in 1744 on the site of an older castle for the Count of Hont and imperial General Andrej Koháry. Later, the rich family of Coburg acquired the manor house. The former Bulgarian tsar Ferdinand Coburg lived there until the end of the Second World War.

Architecture of the manor house represents the symbolic calendar. It has four entrances, 7 arcades, 12 chimneys, 52 rooms and 365 windows. Now it houses the Museum of history and hunting.