Museum of Coins and Medals and Town Castle, Kremnica

The National Bank of Slovakia's Museum of Coins and Medals (NBS – Múzeum mincí a medailí) is the country's main numismatic museum, in Kremnica, an old town of gold miners and coin minters in the Kremnica Mountains. The museum has several exhibitions: the main one, "Obverse and Reverse of Money", in a Gothic burgher house on the historic square, the Burgher House, a gallery, and the Town Castle above the town. All are open on one joint ticket.

The town has long kept its "treasures" — memorabilia that included many coins and medals, since the Kremnica mint has been working continuously for almost 700 years. The first written mention of these town treasures dates from 1724. The museum was officially founded in 1890 by the archivist and historian Pavol Križko, who separated museum objects from the town archive. In 1955 the museum became independent, in 1956 it bought from the mint the materials of a national exhibition on its history, and in 1976 it became the specialised national Museum of Coins and Medals. Since 1 April 1994 it has belonged to the National Bank of Slovakia. Since 1983 it has hosted the Kremnica medal-making symposia.

What to see

• "Obverse and Reverse of Money. Money and Medal Art in the History of Slovakia" — the only exhibition of its kind in the country, opened after reconstruction in 2003 and named "Museum of the Year" that same year. It tells the story of means of payment in Slovakia from the earliest times to today's coins and banknotes, of medal art, and of Kremnica itself, its famous mining, metallurgy and mint.
• The Town Castle — a complex of 14th–15th-century buildings within a double ring of walls, among the best-preserved town fortifications in Slovakia. Unlike most castles, it was built not by kings or feudal lords but by the burghers themselves, to govern and defend their town. In the centre stands the Gothic Church of St Catherine with a Neo-Gothic interior and a modern organ, one of the finest in Slovakia; the museum holds organ concerts here. There are also the Gothic charnel house of St Andrew with wall paintings, the town hall, bastions and a gate with a barbican.
• The church lookout tower — reopened after reconstruction on 13 August 2024: 127 stone spiral steps lead to the watchmen's room, from which danger was announced for centuries, and which now offers the finest view of the town and the hills.

The museum also holds temporary exhibitions and educational programmes.

Practical information

The main exhibition is on the central Štefánik Square, and the castle is just above it, a few minutes' walk uphill. From October 2026 to May 2027 all exhibitions are open Tuesday to Saturday with a lunch break; in September they were also open on Sundays. A joint ticket to all exhibitions costs €8 for adults and €16 for families; details are in the "At a glance" box. School groups are advised to book in advance.

Please note: because of repairs to the church façade, some of the castle exhibitions and part of the grounds are currently closed, including the North Tower and St Andrew's chapel, which can be seen on a virtual tour on the museum's website. Wheelchair users cannot enter through the north gate. Allow about an hour for the main exhibition and half a day with the castle and tower.

Nearby: trails and peaks

From Kremnica you can head into the Kremnica Mountains: the Kremnica – Skalka, recreational center trail leads up to the Skalka recreation centre on the ridge, and the long Malachov – Tri Chotáre trail passes the town. Anyone interested in mining history can continue to Banská Štiavnica, where the Old Castle in Banská Štiavnica awaits.

Official website: muzeumkremnica.sk

Photos: 10ricardo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Palickap, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Mickapr, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Peko, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Pe-Jo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.