Banská Štiavnica: The Most Beautiful Town In Slovakia
Unless you scan the UNESCO World Heritage site for inspiration of new and interesting places to visit, you may never come across the fabulous little town of Banská Štiavnica in Slovakia.
We stumbled upon it when planning a road trip from Budapest. We wanted to include Bratislava, a couple of days in the spa town of Piestany in Slovakia and the fairytale castle of Bojnice in Slovakia. Banska Stiavnica was en-route so we added it to our itinerary.
Banská Štiavnica is such a hidden gem in Slovakia. We love visiting the most beautiful villages in France and I would say that Banska Stiavnica rivals any of them.
Find out why we loved Banska Stiavnica so much. We include information on things to do in this beautiful part of the world and where to stay and eat.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and book or buy something, we may earn a small commission but this is at no extra cost to you.
Where is Banska Stiavnica?
Banksa Stiavnica is a small town in central Slovakia around 170 km away from Bratislava and 145km from Budapest.
You can even reach it on a weekend trip from Budapest as it is just over a 2 hour drive.
Something that makes Banska Stiavnica fairly unique is that it is located in a huge caldera (a hollow area that forms after a volcanic eruption) called the Stiavnica Mountains.
As you can imagine, the town is very hilly with lots of cobbled streets, so bear this in mind when packing footwear.
Just a note here to say that it would be best to hire a car to be able to explore Banksa Stiavnica. Whilst the town itself is very small and can be explored on foot, some of the sites will require a car.
We hired our car through RentalCars as they offered the best rates. We were able to pick the car up at Budapest Airport in Hungary and cross into Slovakia with it.
Due to the narrow streets and historical nature of this town, parking in the centre is limited. There are car parks just on the edges of town charging around €3 a day.
Banska Stiavnica is also not far from the Tatra Mountains and the border with Poland. You could easily incorporate a visit here into a road trip from Krakow, taking in the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Zakopane (don’t miss the thermal spa in Bialka Tatrzanska).
This would be a lovely winter itinerary, especially if you want to try skiing in Zakopane and see the beautiful Christmas markets in Krakow.
History of Banksa Stiavnica
Not only is Banska Stiavnica the most beautiful town in Slovakia, it also has a fascinating history
It is a completely preserved medieval town and for this reason, Banska Stiavnica was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
When we found this out, we knew that it would be worth visiting.
Banska Stiavnica has a rich mining history, dating back as far as the 3rd century. It is believed that Celts first mined here.
Proper commercial mining really started in the 12th century with the extraction of Silver ore. Banská Štiavnica won the title of “silver town”.
Between the end of the 18th century and the mid-19th century, mining activity in Banská Štiavnica exploded. By the end of the 18th century, the population of Banská Štiavnica had grown to 23,000.
In 1735, the oldest mining school in the Kingdom of Hungary was founded here, which later became the Banská akadémia in 1762. It was the first university of its kind in the world – founded by Mária Theresia.
However, by the end of the 19th century, mining activity declined and eventually stopped. The last mine in Banksá Štiavnica was closed down in 2001.
Top tips for visiting Banská Štiavnica
Our tip for visiting Banská Štiavnica would be to stay there. It is a hidden gem but there are still tourists, particularly in the summer months.
If you want the place virtually to yourself, then stay overnight.
Look at these empty streets in the photo below!
Also – think about the time of day for visiting certain sights in Banska Stiavnica. Some sights are completely shaded in the afternoon (the Old Castle) which is a shame if you are into photography. It would look better earlier in the day.
Obviously you need to check opening times too if you want to go inside.
Things to do in Banska Stiavnica
Banksa Stiavnica itself is a small town and is best explored on foot. However, some of the sites that we recommend seeing are easiest explored by car (hence our recommendation to hire a car).
Central Banksa Stiavnica things to do:
The Old Castle
The Old Castle (Starý zámok) west of the Trojičné námestie square. The oldest part of the Chateau is the former parish church of the Virgin Mary. It was built together with the adjacent ossuary in the 13th century as the three-aisle Romanesque basilica. Today the Old Chateau houses the museum. Collections of pipes and targets are its especially interesting exhibits.
The New Castle
The New Castle (Nový zámok) was built in 1571. It has a striking appearance and was the scene of battles with the Turks. Today it is a museum where you can read about the Turkish wars.
You can also enjoy beautiful views over the town of Banska Stiavnica from the castle. You can easily reach the castle from the centre of town although it is a bit of a walk uphill or there is a car park right below it.
The Love Bank
Love Bank – the only museum of its kind in the world – an interactive exhibition of the love poem ‘Marina’. Marina is the longest love poem in the world, with 291 stanzas and 2900 verses.
The museum also has a Love Vault where people from all around the world have come to store their love notes.
Listen to verses of Marina being recited outside the entrance by pressing the button on the statue. It was nominated for European Museum of the Year in 2021.
The Kammerhof
The Kammerhof – the largest historical complex in Banska Stiavnica’s town centre with several buildings ‘stitched-together’. Here you can visit the permanent exhibition of ‘Mining in Slovakia’.
You can also enter an old mining tunnel (in case you don’t have time to visit the Slovak Mining Museum out of town). This was great for kids because they got to push an old mining cart through the tunnel.
Tajch Veľká Vodárenská
Tajch Veľká Vodárenská is one of many Tajchys in the Stiavnica Mountains but the closest Tajch to Banska Stiavnica.
Tajchys are articifial water reservoirs and they were built in the 18th century to provide energy to the silver mines. There were over 60 reservoirs and 100km of water channels with water pumps. You can read more about them here.
There are dedicated swimming areas in many of the Tajchs. This is a lovely place to visit in the summer to cool off. There is also a café here.
It is a little walk out of town and through a wooded area. It takes about 25 minutes to walk there. The views back towards town are beautiful.
Remember to take your swimming gear with you. We always carry our Dock & Bay towels with us!
The Botanical Gardens of Banska Stiavnica
The Botanical Gardens – these gardens surround the Mining Academy buildings and are a peaceful place to visit with redwoods and Japanese Cedar. A tour of the gardens takes between 20 – 40 minutes.
The Slovak Mining Museum
The Slovak Mining Museum – this open air mining museum has been open to the public since 1974. You will need a car to reach it because it is located around 5km from the centre of town.
The Kalvária Banská Štiavnica
The Baroque Kalvária (Calvary) in Banská Štiavnica was built between 1744 and 1751. It is a stunning example of baroque architecture.
There are 23 sacral monuments to visit on your way up to the Kalvaria. It is located on the top of Scharfenberg hill and there is a lot of walking uphill involved to reach it.
There is parking for a small number of cars so we recommend going early.
There are also various events held here during the year. This live chess event looks fun.
At Christmas they have a gorgeous little Christmas market. If you like Christmas markets, make sure to check out our post on the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe, the best UK Christmas markets and the Christmas markets in London.
See here for more things to do and events in Banska Stiavnica and the surrounding area.
Things to do near Banská Štiavnica
If you base yourself in Banska Stiavnica, there are some great things to see and do in the surrounding area.
You shouldn’t miss a visit to Bojnice Castle (Castle of Spirits) – one of the oldest and most important monuments in Slovakia. It was built in the 12th century and is straight out of a fairytale. Don’t miss the secret grotto under the castle or the cute medieval market area next to the castle.
Bojnice Castle is about 70km from Banska Stiavnica.
Nearby there is an observatory but at €8 per person entry, we decided not to visit it. It is meant to be fun for kids with slides and play areas as well as great views over the surrounding landscape.
Take your swimmers along to Počúvadlianske Jazero, a fabulous swimming lake about 20km from Banska Stiavnica.
It is the largest and one of the most beautiful and most visited of the tajchys.
People come here for swimming, boating and also hiking. There is a lovely 3km walk up to Sitno through the woods. It takes about 1.5 hours there and back.
On the way back to Banska Stiavnica, stop in for lunch at Penzion Windsachta in Štiavnické Bane.
They serve traditional Slovakian food. We had a delicous traditional meal of beef stew in a hollowed out loaf of bread with gorgeous lake views.
Thermia Palace Ensana Health Spa in Piestany is a little further (160km) but if you are doing a road trip – it is well worth a visit.
We had 2 nights here just relaxing and enjoying great food. The 5-star hotel is a beautiful art nouveau building with a state of the art spa. You can enjoy the outdoor thermally heated spa all year round as the water remains a constant 36 degrees.
We cannot recommend it enough. You will feel rejuvenated even after a couple of days.
Is it worth visiting Banská Štiavnica?
Having seen our photos from our travels, people still ask is Banská Štiavnica worth visiting?
If you like visiting beautiful, historic towns with very few tourists, then yes, Banksa Stiavnica is worth visiting.
We can’t actually think of a reason not to visit.
When is the best time to visit Banska Stiavnica?
The best time to visit Banksa Stiavnica is during the summer months. This is so that you can enjoy the full extent of the outdoor activities in Banska Stiavnica.
It is a fabulous place for open air swimming and the hiking in the Stiavnica Mountains is not to be missed.
How long to do you need in Banská Štiavnica?
We spent 3 days in Banská Štiavnica as we used it as a base for exploring the local area. You would only really need one day to explore the town itself – maybe two at a push.
Places to stay in Banksa Stiavnica
The Grand Matej (click to check rates and book) is the main hotel in Banska Stiavnica. It is right in the centre of town. They have an onsite sauna and hot tub that overlook the town.
Families might like Penzion Cosmopolitan II which has a room for 4 people and is very central.
We stayed in an apartment in the centre of town which had the best views (check out our Instagram reel and see what you think). Unfortunately it is no longer available to book but this apartment is in almost the exact same location with great reviews.
Where to eat in Banksa Stiavnica
There are a number of restaurants in Banska Stiavnica. We were only there for 3 days and ate at a couple of them because we were self-catering.
We can recommend the pizza from Black M in the centre of town. They also do takeaway.
The cafés lining Andreja Kmeťa are also worth visiting, even if just for a coffee to people watch.
Cantína Tratória is the best, with traditional Slovakian food on offer.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about Banksa Stiavnica and agree that it is one of the most beautiful towns in Europe and the most beautiful town in Slovakia.
