Banska Stiavnica Travel Guide

 hungariangirl896 Says:  Banska Stiavnica's Holy Trinity Square is located in the city center. This square dates from the 1500s and features the Church of St. Catherine and many old houses, which once belonged to wealthy miners. Later, the town's inhabitants added the beautiful column in the center... 

 hungariangirl896 Says:  Banska Stiavnica's Old Castle offers great views of the city. This building was used by the town to protect itself from the Turks in the middle ages. After making the walk up the hill and exploring the castle, you can find many good spots for taking pictures of the town and... 

 halikowski Says:  Normally closed, even in August. Only time it opens is for the Jazznica festival. Great venue to see trumpeters among the fifteenth century lecterns, with the heavy wooden pulpits nobody has spoken from for decades.. 

 halikowski Says:  Jazznica 2008 included Czech solo singer Eva Bittova and the Polish 4-piece jazz outfit `Soundcheck'. Entry 300 SKK on the night. 

 halikowski Says:  A seventeenth-century Baroque statue commemorating the recovery of the town from a bad attack of plague. You can see similar statues in neighbouring towns such as Kremnica. 

 halikowski Says:  Kalvaria, a calvary, was constructed at the apogee of the town's fortunes 1748-51, but now - and in spite of two restoration projects - badly damaged and derelict. Includes 24 stations of the cross. Management consultants are sent by their company `Accenture' in Bratislava... 

 halikowski Says:  In the 19th century, when ore extraction was no longer economically viable (and I think the central mining administration was moved to Banska Bystrica), a forestry academy was opened. A grand Hungarian building, still with Hungarian inscriptions. But apparently Magyarisation... 

 halikowski Says:  Lovely, clean water lakes originally designed in the 18th century to supply a constant stream of water to power the mining pumps (there are no flowing rivers of any size in the Stiavnicke vrchy). Samuel Mikoviny was the scientist/engineer to promote their use. Now they are... 

 halikowski Says:  At 1009 metres, it's not a particularly great feat to climb Sitno. Probably the most direct ascent is from Pociuvadlo, from which it takes c. 45 minutes to go up. On the top is a renovated wooden visitor's chalet with observation floor. The top of Sitno is covered with wild... 

 halikowski Says:  Visit to a country palace, most famously occupied by the last King of Bulgaria Ferdinand of Coburg, who was exiled after siding with the losing Germans in the First World War. Sumptuous nineteenth century Biedermeier rooms with luxury furniture, Chinese silk wallpapers,... 

 halikowski Says:  Hostel 6 advertises itself as the cheapest place in town. But in fact, it's overpriced so nobody ever stays there as far as I could see. And the poor manager sits in his office surrounded by emptiness. 

 halikowski Says:  Excellent quality, and well priced. Nice locale. Dont go for the tomato soup if you don't like sugar (which is added). I recommend the `halusky s brinzy' (gnocchi with goat's cheese and lard), costs 119 SKK (with 1/2 litre of beer and bread). 

 halikowski Says:  6 km down the road from Banska Stiavnica (to the north) is Banska Bela, a small satellite village, situated close to the Ferdinand mining adit. But what an impressive church for such a small place! With a closed, wooden gallery leading up to the entrance. 

 halikowski Says:  We walked from Pociuvadlo jezero, up Mount Sitno, down to the hamlet of Ilija, across the fields to Svaty Anton, and up through the forest to Bansky Studenec. Problem getting back though: buses are very irregular. 

 Assenczo Says:  Antol is a village or rather an area of Greater Banska Stiavnica(2km off downtown), where the palace of Ferdinand Saxcobourg Gotta is located. For people with inclination towards history and especially comparative one it is a perfect place for a surprise. Not many in...