Banská Štiavnica

Banská Štiavnica District · Banská Bystrica Region · Slovakia
Banská Štiavnica — photo 1 Banská Štiavnica — photo 2 Banská Štiavnica — photo 3 Banská Štiavnica — photo 4 Banská Štiavnica — photo 5 6

Photos: Adrian Tync, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jan Starec, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Jan Starec, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons); Palickap, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons); FOTO:Fortepan — ID 81021: Adományozó/Donor: Unknown. archive copy at the Wayback Machine, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons); FOTO:Fortepan — ID 86639: Adományozó/Donor: Magyar Földrajzi Múzeum / Erdélyi Mór cége., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Banská Štiavnica is a town and the administrative center of the Banská Štiavnica District in the Banská Bystrica Region, central Slovakia. It lies at the foot of the Štiavnica Mountains, part of the Slovak Central Mountains, at an elevation of 621 m. The town has a population of about 9,208 (2025). Its name comes from the Latin phrase “Terra banensium” (land of miners), reflecting its deep mining roots.

The first mining activities in the area date back to the 3rd century BC, likely by the Celts. In 1156, Banská Štiavnica was mentioned as a mining settlement, and by 1217, silver extraction was recorded. The town received municipal rights in 1238. In the 13th century, German settlers arrived, and in the 15th century, the Old and New Castles were built to defend against Turkish raids. In 1627, gunpowder was used in mining here for the first time in the world.

Banská Štiavnica is renowned for its mining heritage, unique system of artificial lakes (tajchy), and a historic center inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town became an educational hub: in 1735, the first Mining School in Hungary was founded here, and in 1763, the Mining Academy followed. Notable sites include the Štiavnica tajchy, Počúvadlo Lake, the Open-Air Mining Museum, and the Old and New Castles.

Visitors can explore numerous hiking trails, such as the Andrej Kmeť Trail, the Banská Štiavnica Square – Žiar nad Hronom Station route, or ascend the Sitno peak. For craft enthusiasts, the ERB Brewery offers tours and tastings, and the “Do dielne” workshop in Počúvadlo provides woodcarving courses. Highlights include Počúvadlo Lake, the Open-Air Mining Museum, and the Andrej Kmeť Hut. For relaxation, there are thermal baths in Sklené Teplice and the “Vodný raj” pools in Vyhne.

Getting there from Ukraine

From Uzhhorod to Brezno ≈274 km, ≈3 h 50 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 to Košice → D1 via Prešov and Poprad to the exit near Liptovský Hrádok → I/18 and I/72 over the Čertovica Pass to Brezno. To Banská Bystrica ≈322 km, ≈4 h 30 min: D1 to Ružomberok, then I/59 via Donovaly. The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk).

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, Karpaty.rocks data. More on Wikipedia

Trails nearby

All trails
Rudná magistrála: Veľký Inovec – KadakHardMulti-dayMarkedRudná magistrála: Veľký Inovec KadakElevation profile196–1 458 m195.4 kmascent 6 404 munder 1 km from the centreBanská Štiavnica, square – Žiar nad Hronom, stationModerateTwo-dayMarkedBanská Štiavnica, square Žiar nad Hronom, stationElevation profile250–814 m20.9 kmascent 577 m≈ 6.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreFirst Marked Tourist Trail in SlovakiaEasyOne-dayMarkedFirst Marked Tourist Trail in SlovakiaElevation profile601–797 m5.1 kmascent 200 m≈ 1.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreAndrej Kmeť TrailHardMulti-dayMarkedAndrej Kmeť TrailElevation profile231–1 011 m39.6 kmascent 1 216 m≈ 12.5 h walkingunder 1 km from the centreBanská Štiavnica, Križovatka – Sedlo KrížnaEasyOne-dayMarkedBanská Štiavnica, Križovatka Sedlo KrížnaElevation profile516–707 m7.3 kmascent 215 m≈ 2.5 h walking1.1 km from the centreŽarnovica, station – Žiar nad Hronom, stationHardMulti-dayMarkedŽarnovica, station Žiar nad Hronom, stationElevation profile210–940 m42.1 kmascent 2 364 m1.6 km from the centre

Peaks nearby

All peaks
SitnoPeakSitnoIlijaaltitude 1 009 m6.3 km from the centreSitno (Hungarian Szitnya) is the highest peak of the Štiavnica Mountains at 1,009 m, close to the historic mining town of Banská Štiavnica in central Slovakia.

What to visit

All
New Castle in Banská ŠtiavnicaMuseumNew Castle in Banská ŠtiavnicaBanská Štiavnicaunder 1 km from the centreThe New Castle (Nový zámok) is a white six-storey Renaissance bastion on Frauenberg hill above the historic centre of Banská Štiavnica.ERB brewery in Banská Štiavnica: brewery tour and tastingCraft beer & breweriesERB brewery in Banská Štiavnica: brewery tour and tastingBanská Štiavnicaunder 1 km from the centreBanská Štiavnica is an old mining town in the caldera of an extinct volcano and a UNESCO World Heritage site.Old Castle in Banská ŠtiavnicaMuseumOld Castle in Banská ŠtiavnicaBanská Štiavnicaunder 1 km from the centreThe Old Castle (Starý zámok, officially Mestský hrad — Town Castle) is one of the oldest buildings of Banská Štiavnica, a mining town on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Open-Air Mining Museum, Banská ŠtiavnicaMuseumOpen-Air Mining Museum, Banská ŠtiavnicaBanská Štiavnica1.1 km from the centreThe Open-Air Mining Museum (Banské múzeum v prírode) in Banská Štiavnica is the oldest and thematically broadest mining exhibition in Slovakia.The Štiavnica tajchy – historic mining lakes of Banská ŠtiavnicaLakeThe Štiavnica tajchy – historic mining lakes of Banská ŠtiavnicaŠtiavnické Bane5.1 km from the centreThe Štiavnica tajchy are a system of historic artificial lakes in the Štiavnica Mountains (Štiavnické vrchy) around the mining town of Banská Štiavnica in central...Počúvadlo — historic mining lake below SitnoLakePočúvadlo — historic mining lake below SitnoBanská Štiavnica6.5 km from the centrePočúvadlo (Počúvadlianske jazero) is the largest of the Štiavnica tajchs — historic artificial ponds built by the miners of Banská Štiavnica to drive the machinery of...

Craft nearby

All craft places
Sklené Teplice: Parenica cave steam bath and thermal bathsWater parks & thermal poolsSklené Teplice: Parenica cave steam bath and thermal bathsSklené Teplice8.1 km from the centreSklené Teplice is a small spa in a wooded valley of the Štiavnické vrchy hills, a few kilometres from the Hron valley and about 8 km from Banská Štiavnica.Vodný raj thermal pools in VyhneWater parks & thermal poolsVodný raj thermal pools in VyhneVyhne9.7 km from the centreVodný raj Vyhne ("Water Paradise") is a public pool complex with thermal water in the village of Vyhne, in a quiet wooded valley of the Štiavnické vrchy hills near the...Do dielne, Počúvadlo: woodcarving courses near Banská ŠtiavnicaCrafts & workshopsDo dielne, Počúvadlo: woodcarving courses near Banská ŠtiavnicaPočúvadlo11 km from the centreHere, in the quiet among the hills, works the small workshop Do dielne (“To the workshop”). Its owner Dušan Budinský ran a hairdresser’s in Bratislava for eight years,...Kováčová: thermal spa and Holidaypark aquapark near ZvolenWater parks & thermal poolsKováčová: thermal spa and Holidaypark aquapark near ZvolenKováčová22 km from the centreKováčová is a spa village on the south-western edge of the Zvolen Basin, 4 km west of Zvolen at the foot of the Kremnica Mountains; the village centre lies at 303 m.Sliač spa: warm carbonated water and a thermal swimming areaWater parks & thermal poolsSliač spa: warm carbonated water and a thermal swimming areaSliač26 km from the centreSliač is a spa in the Zvolen Basin above the Hron valley, between Zvolen and Banská Bystrica. The spa quarter with its 46-hectare park lies on a slope above the former...Kremnica gingerbread: the Haurík family bakery since 1922Craft producersKremnica gingerbread: the Haurík family bakery since 1922Kremnica27 km from the centreKremnica is an old mining town in the Kremnica Mountains where coins have been struck for more than six centuries.

Spas and thermal pools nearby

Sklené Teplice: Parenica cave steam bath and thermal bathsWater parks & thermal poolsSklené Teplice: Parenica cave steam bath and thermal bathsSklené Teplice8.1 km from the centreSklené Teplice is a small spa in a wooded valley of the Štiavnické vrchy hills, a few kilometres from the Hron valley and about 8 km from Banská Štiavnica.Vodný raj thermal pools in VyhneWater parks & thermal poolsVodný raj thermal pools in VyhneVyhne9.7 km from the centreVodný raj Vyhne ("Water Paradise") is a public pool complex with thermal water in the village of Vyhne, in a quiet wooded valley of the Štiavnické vrchy hills near the...Kováčová: thermal spa and Holidaypark aquapark near ZvolenWater parks & thermal poolsKováčová: thermal spa and Holidaypark aquapark near ZvolenKováčová22 km from the centreKováčová is a spa village on the south-western edge of the Zvolen Basin, 4 km west of Zvolen at the foot of the Kremnica Mountains; the village centre lies at 303 m.

Huts, shelters and springs nearby

997 mMountain shelterAndreja Kmeťa HutSlovak Central Mountains · SlovakiaStandingOn a trailStaffed
608 mDrinking waterTap Štiavnický div – studňa na strecheSlovak Central Mountains · SlovakiaNot verified70 m from a trail
611 mDrinking waterDrinking water below HybalkaSlovak Central Mountains · SlovakiaNot verified60 m from a trail
698 mSpringSpring below HybalkaSlovak Central Mountains · SlovakiaNot verified170 m from a trail
630 mDrinking waterDrinking water below GalgenbergSlovak Central Mountains · SlovakiaNot verified140 m from a trail
773 mSpringCisterna SpringSlovak Central Mountains · SlovakiaNot verified360 m from a trailNot for drinking

All springs of the CarpathiansAll Carpathian huts

Getting there from Ukraine

Border crossings

  • Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké — road, 24/7
  • Malyi Bereznyi – Ubľa — road, 24/7 For cars and buses; pedestrians not confirmed by the Ukrainian border service, lorries up to 3.5 t.
  • Mali Selmentsi – Veľké Slemence (pedestrian) — pedestrian, 09:00–21:00 Kyiv time Pedestrians and cyclists only; inconvenient for the Tatras without onward transport.
  • Chop – Čierna nad Tisou (rail) — rail, 24/7

By car

From Uzhhorod to Brezno ≈274 km, ≈3 h 50 min without queues: Uzhhorod – Vyšné Nemecké → I/19 to Košice → D1 via Prešov and Poprad to the exit near Liptovský Hrádok → I/18 and I/72 over the Čertovica Pass to Brezno. To Banská Bystrica ≈322 km, ≈4 h 30 min: D1 to Ružomberok, then I/59 via Donovaly. From Lviv: to Brezno via Uzhok and Ubľa ≈498 km (≈7 h 45 min) or through Poland ≈554 km (≈7 h 05 min); to Banská Bystrica through Poland (Kraków – Chyżne – Trstená – Dolný Kubín – Ružomberok) ≈535 km, ≈7 h 15 min. The D1 requires an e-vignette (eznamka.sk).

Checked 23.10.2026; border crossing hours and timetables change — check before you travel.

What's nearby