12 Magical Things To Do in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia

The best things to do in the mining town of Banská Štiavnica, in Slovakia.

When visiting Slovakia, all I had were my friends’ recommendations. I tried to keep my itinerary as simple as possible, without researching any destinations. And from all the towns I visited in Slovakia (there were many), Banská Štiavnica was by far my favorite. Visiting too? Here are the best things to do in Banská Štiavnica!

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Table of Contents

About Banská Štiavnica

As the oldest mining town in Slovakia, Banská Štiavnica is as impressive as you’d imagine it. The first settlement was founded as early as the 3^rd century BC, but it wasn’t until the 13^th century that this town became really important.

Over time, Banska Stiavnica grew, at some point becoming the main source of gold and silver for the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. The town even formed the very first Mining and Forestry Academy in Europe in 1762, proving its technical credentials.

This completely preserved medieval town was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, putting it on the map for tourists.

To this day, many visitors (including myself) fall in love with this town over and over again. Are you going to be the next?

How to get to Banská Štiavnica

Getting to Banska Stiavnica is quite easy. It is located 170 km east of Bratislava and 145 km north of Budapest, making it an easy day trip destination from both capital cities.

Tour – that said, the easiest option is to book a tour. And these tours might seem expensive at first, until you see everything that is included:

All the transport
Entrance tickets for museums and castles
Walking tour
Depending on which tour you book, there could also be snacks, drinks, or entrance tickets to a spa included

Plus, it takes all the hassle and worry away. I highly recommend this tour from Bratislava, or this tour from Budapest.

Car – My favorite way of traveling will always be by car. Here in Slovakia, it was no different; I was here with my campervan. Renting a car will always give you so much flexibility and freedom. It’s about a 2 hours drive from Bratislava or 2,5 hours from Budapest.

If you choose to rent a car, I highly recommend using DiscoverCars. They will give you great, honest prices and the best coverage!

Public transport – Visiting Banska Stiavnica by public transport is a bit harder, but definitely not impossible. It can take anywhere from 3 to 5,5 hours from Bratislava, just check the connections on google maps and ask the staff at the station for directions. Visiting with public transport from Budapest takes a lot longer and it not worth it.

Getting around Banská Štiavnica

Getting around Banska Stiavnica is very straightforward, as you can basically walk everywhere. Some of the sites are a bit more out of town, so it would be great to have a car at your disposal, so you can easily reach these places too.

Where to stay in Banská Štiavnica

As I mentioned before, Banska Stiavnica is a popular day trip destination. However, with all the activities that you can do here (that are all worth it), I highly recommend staying for a night. This gives you a lot more time to see everything in a chill, non-hurried way.

The best places to stay are all in the town’s centre:

Luxury – Botanický dvor

Best price/quality – Madam S Boa

Budget – Hotel Glaus

Family – Apartmán Goldberg

The 12 best things to do in Banská Štiavnica

Fall in love with the main street

When wandering through the historic city, I completely fell head over heels in love with the main street! The actual name of this street is Andreja Kmeta, and it’s very easy to find.

With the different levels, all the cozy coffee shops, the tall, elegant buildings, and so much more, the main street is an entire activity by itself. I couldn’t stop making photos of it, with the beautiful baroque city hall in the background.

Even though it is very likely that you will find this street without even looking for it, you must still make sure to visit it, in case you don’t stumble upon it.

Step inside the Church of St. Catherine

When you finally reach the end of the main street, you will spy 2 tall towers. The narrow clock tower belongs to the city hall, but the other one is part of the mesmerizing Church of St. Catherine.

With its stunning Gothic design, this 15^th-century church is in an undeniably good state. It’s completely surrounded by streets, making it feel like a little island of calm. Make sure to step inside and take a moment to admire all the beautiful details!

Lose yourself in the Old Castle

Starting out as a church, the now Old Castle is a place you must see on your trip to Banská Štiavnica. Yes, I will give you some more information on this special place.

The Old Castle was formerly known as a Romanesque Church of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the 13^th century, but only after the Ottoman invasions in the 16^th century, it became a fortress. Since then, the castle has served many purposes, like an archive, library, and even a prison, at some point.

Now the Old Castle is home to a very interesting museum, that must be part of your itinerary.

And admire the New Castle

Slovakians seem to lack some creativity when it comes to naming castles. We just talked about the Old Castle, and guess what the other castle is named…

The New Castle! Okay, actually, its name is the Maiden Castle, and there’s a very funny story to that, which I will tell you in a second.

Located on the other side of town, on its very own hill, the New Castle is unique in its very own way. This tower-like castle was built in 1564, and it was the scene of the battle with the Turks.

Nowadays, the Castle is home to a museum where you can learn all about the Turkish wars. And the beautiful views of the town below are also a great reason to visit!

As to the story about the castle’s name, here it goes: According to legend, the castle was founded by Barbara Rössel, a wealthy but arrogant heiress known for her wild parties. Frustrated by her behavior, townspeople built gallows below her window as a warning, prompting her to briefly change her ways.

Later, she offered to fund a castle to “protect” the town from Turkish forces, on the condition that she chose its location. She deliberately built it out of sight of the gallows and soon returned to her lavish lifestyle.

The story ends with her squandering her fortune and falling into poverty. A fitting moral tale of excess and pride.

Visit the unique Love Bank Museum

The Love Bank is a unique museum that is based on the longest love poem in the world: ‘’Marina’’. This one-of-a-kind museum is both interesting and inspiring to visit, as there is also a ‘’Love Vault’’ where people from all over the world have come to store their love notes.

The uniqueness of the Love Bank had it nominated for Museum of the Year in 2021. It’s definitely worth a stop!

Learn about the mining history at the Kammerhof

If you want to know more about mining in Slovakia, the Kammerhof is the place to be. As the largest historical complex in Banska Stiavnica, Kammerhof is home to a permanent exhibition about mining in Slovakia.

Here you also get the chance to visit an old mining tunnel, which I found very interesting!

Climb up the Banská Štiavnica Calvary

When driving into Banská Štiavnica, the first thing that I noticed was a pink church perched upon a hill. It even caused me to stop my car by the side of the road to take a picture. At the time, I wasn’t aware it was part of the town I was going to visit the next day, but I’m so glad I got to take a closer look.

The Banská Štiavnica Calvary is a striking Baroque pilgrimage site perched on a hill above the town of Banská Štiavnica. Built in the 18th century, it consists of a series of chapels and churches that symbolically represent the path of Christ’s crucifixion.

Banska stiavnica calvary — The photo that I took from the road

As you walk uphill between the beautifully restored buildings, you’re rewarded with sweeping views over the town and the surrounding countryside. I absolutely loved the peaceful atmosphere while walking up the hill. I took many breaks to see the little chapels. It’s definitely worth the time and effort to walk up, you will not regret it!

Marvel at the Holy Trinity Square

One of the most beautiful memorial statues I’ve ever seen is located right inside this town, in the middle of the Holy Trinity Square. Surrounded by seriously old buildings, this square and its statue are an incredible sight to see!

The statue stands tall in the middle of the square and was built to memorialize the devastating plague era in the 18th century

Relax at the cozy cafés

When I visited this town in late September, it already felt like autumn. Not only because of the grey skies, but also because of the pumpkin spice lattes you could find anywhere.

So I went and sat down in a café. Normally, I would go to the café I feel drawn to the most, but this time there were more of them, so I had to choose.

I still regret not staying longer and checking out more of them, but the ones I would recommend are:

Divná Pani
LevaLáska
Moja Marina (this is where I ended up going, the pies here are delicious!)
Stará Skola
Trotuar Café

You have to make sure to sit down in at least one of these cozy cafes for a coffee or a meal!

Cool off at the Tajch Veľká Vodárenská

If you’re visiting Banská Štiavnica in summer, checking out this quarry is a must.

This artificial water reservoir was originally built in the 18^th century as a way to provide energy to the silver mines. There were over 60 quarries in this area, but the Tajch Velka Vodarenska is the one closest to the old town.

This is the perfect place to go for a swim and enjoy nature. There’s even a little café here. You can walk here in about 25 minutes from the old town.

Get lost in the Botanical Gardens of Banská Štiavnica

Wherever there are botanical gardens, you will find me there. Banská Štiavnica was no different.

These unique gardens surround the old Mining Academy buildings, and you can admire beautiful redwoods and Japanese Cedar here.

The garden is completely open to the public.

Visit the Slovak Mining Museum

About 5 km from the town’s center, you will find the beautiful open-air Mining Museum. If you’re interested in mining history, this place is a must! You do need a car to get here.

(Don’t) go camping in the surrounding woods

Want to hear something fun?

Camping in the surrounding woods of Banská Štiavnica was the best and worst place I have wildcamped on this trip.

I was already wild camping every night on this trip, usually on the outskirts of cities or nearby parks. However, in Banská Štiavnica, it was a bit different. It was a completely remote area in nature. I was not too worried about it, nature should be nice and calm.

I quickly came back from that delusion.

As I started hearing animal roars around my van, I got scared. It was so loud and I was in bear country, so my brain went: ‘’I am surrounded by bears and they are out for blood’’.

Of course, that was nonsense. Bears don’t normally roar, and they wouldn’t ‘’have it out for me’’.

Long story short, there were supposedly several red deer surrounding my van and roaring very loudly, which made my sleep and life decisions very questionable. But hey, I peed in a bottle and survived the night.

So, if you plan on wild camping and you want adventure, this is the place to go. If not, good choice.

Final thoughts on the best things to do in Banská Štiavnica

Isn’t it great to end travel guides with fun stories like these?

And now that you know everything you need about visiting Banská Štiavnica, it’s time to book your trip!

Happy travels!