Banská Štiavnica (EN) - Region

Banská Štiavnica is a jewel among Slovak towns and one of the most beautiful towns in Central Europe. Once the third largest city of the Hungarian Empire, it had been the richest source of gold and silver in Europe. Palaces in Vienna and Budapest were built from riches mined here. The Royal Court, wars as well as emerging science, all financed by Banská Štiavnica´s gold and silver, too. It was in Banská Štiavnica, where gun powder was used to rock blast for the first time. The first technical college in Europe was also established here. Banská Štaivnica´s palaces and burgher houses, statues and churches, all were built by recognized European architects and artists. The historical centre of the town has been preserved in its original look until today. Since 1993, Banská Štiavnica is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The first guidebook about Banská Štiavnica and region was made by a team of local authors. Their aim was to provide visitors with a compact and interesting guide of the favourite tourist destination. The guidebook takes you for a journey through history, architecture and attractions of the town, provides information about trips to region, cafés and restaurants, culture and fun events and suggests tips for families. The book including maps is available in Slovak and English.