Banska Stiavnica

About

This serene, untroubled town is the oldest mining town in Slovakia and was once known as ‘Silver Town’ as it sits on the Theresa Vein – a vast silver deposit discovered in the Middle Ages. There are many medieval sights to see around the town, from the sixteenth-century Old Castle, complete with medieval jail, through to Holy Trinity Square with its red Baroque sandstone Plague Column, which always seems to shine whatever the weather. To delve into what put the town into the history books all those years ago, then a trip to the Slovakia Open Air Mining Museum is a must. The museum offers a close to one-mile long tour where visitors can learn about the technical aspects of mining while descending deep into the earth. There is an underground exhibition which features the original motor from the mine shaft engine. Visitors are also provided with hard hats, coats, and lamps which, of course, provide an unmissable photo opportunity itself.