Some of Slovakia’s best towns are small villages worth visiting for a day or part of a day because of one or two outstanding attraction or because of a charming combination of church, castle, well-preserved central square. Others are great urban centers, places to stay for several days to savor a wide range of historic and contemporary cultural treats, and to use as a base for exploring nearby villages, spas, caves and national parks.

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Banska Stiavnica was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status for many reasons. Hidden amongst green rolling hills you will find a delightful complex of picture-perfect old towns, an amazing number and variety of churches, a unique educational institution and open-air museum, an ingenious 20-lake water supply, pumping and power generation system created in the 18th century, and a host of other unusual historical monuments that together are protected by the UNESCO designation.

At one time Banska Stiavnica was the third largest city in the Hungarian kingdom. It was also one of the most productive gold and silver mining centers in all of Europe in the 13th-18th centuries. Not only were there rich veins of precious metal to exploit, but the town became famous through its mining academy, the first of its kind, founded in 1762. In fact, this was the world’s first technical university. Forestry was later added as a specialty. In the early 20th century, mining and the academy ceased. Rather than destroy the old town, a new town was developed below it. So today we can see the historic Banska Stiavnica in all its former glory, with scarcely any modern buildings.

While the open-air mining museum and academy are fascinating, Banska Stiavnica is much more than mining. Some say it is the prettiest town in Slovakia, with cobblestone streets and beautifully preserved buildings from Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque periods and Neo-Classical periods. And don’t miss the Botanical Gardens behind the Mining Academy.

What to see

• Trinity Square (Trojicne namestie)
  Charming old town square with Baroque red marble plague column, dedicated to the Holy Trinity (Susosie sv. Trojice)
• Calvary Hill
  For the best view of the town, with beautiful churches and idyllic scenery along the way, climb Scharfenberg hill – a dormant volcano -- with 14 Stations of the Cross.
• Open-air mining museum (Banicke muzeum)
  Don a hard hat and go down a mine shaft and tunnels to see how medieval miners worked. Exhibits describe the many mining techniques – adopted around the world but developed here.
• Town hall (Radnica)
  The clock on this Baroque structure tells time counter-clockwise!
• Old Castle (Stary zamok)
  A Romanesque Church that was transformed into a fortress to meet the threat of the Turkish invasion.
• Mining & Forestry Academy (Banicka a lesnicka skola)
  Best to visit for its fine botanical gardens – 250 non-native species including California redwoods, planted early 19th century.
• Miner’s Knocker (Klopacka)
  Giant wooden clapper used to wake miners in the morning
• Piarska Gate (Piarska brana)
  The only remaining gate of the town’s extensive anti-Turk fortification system
• New Castle (Novy zamok)
  Built as a watchtower against the Turks (16th c.) it offers a good view over the town and map showing how close the Turks came.
• St. Catherine’s Gothic Church (Kostol sv. Katariny)
  15th c. late Gothic style

More info

Slovakia’s most perfectly preserved, walled medieval Old Town (stare mesto) is one of the many reasons Bardejov belongs on any tour of the country. And it’s why UNESCO awarded World Heritage Site status to this small city in the northeast. Settled by Saxon weavers in the 12th century, Bardejov became a prosperous center of the textile trade over the next 300 years. Ironically, its economic decline in the 18th century is the very reason that practically nothing changed. Seven original bastions of the Gothic fortification system are still standing.

What to see:

• Main square (radnicne namestie)
  Cobblestones and gabled merchant houses in gothic and renaissance styles.
• Church of Saint Giles (sv Egidia)
  11 rare Gothic wooden wing alters and stone tabernacle from 15th c. More info
• Saris Museum (Sarisske Muzeum)
  Part is in the Gothic-Renaissance Town Hall (Radnice namestie). But be sure to also see the extraordinary Saris Icon Museum in a separate building off the main square.More Info
• Old Jewish quarter
  An 18th c. synagogue
• Bardejovske kupele
  The spa town outside Bardejov not only has healing thermal springs, but also a wonderful outdoor museum (part of the Saris Museum) with wooden and thatch-roofed buildings built in the Ruthenian/Rusyn folk tradition. (http://www.kupele-bj.sk/aindex.html)

Interested in the Ruthenian heritage?

Bardejov is a good base for exploring the easternmost section of the country, where you’ll find the most Greek Catholic wooden churches and the Andy Warhol Museum. (Warhol’s parents were Ruthenians from this area.)

More info on Bardejov

town where time stood still, Levoca was the walled capital of the richest region in Slovakia, Spis, for hundreds of years. The 24 Spis towns were settled by Germans invited by Hungarian kings to re-populate the area in the 12th-13th centuries, after Tatar raids killed most of the local inhabitants. Levoca is a showcase of 15th-16th c. architecture. The main square is lined with one-story Gothic, Renaissance and early Baroque houses, the former homes of rich merchants.

The town declined in importance from the 18th century on, which saved it from modern development, leaving it a perfect jewel for tourists to discover.

What to see:

• Church of St. Jacob’s (sv Jakuba) - The town’s best known attraction, with magnificent wooden winged altar carved by Master Pavol of Levoca – the country’s most famous Gothic craftsman.
• Cage of Shame (Klietka hanby), a wrought iron pillory for women accused of wrongdoing, built by the Protestants
• Original 14th-15th c. fortified walls of the town
• Town Hall (radnica) with frescoes and a museum on Spis culture (Spisske Museum) with icons, paintings and furniture, some from 14th century.
• Minoritian church and monastery with baroque interiors
• Thurzo House (Thurzov dom) – A burgher’s home with lovely sgraffito decoration
• Spiss Museum (Levoca) – Located in three historic buildings in the picturesque Renaissance town of Levoca are exhibitions showing the history, art history and folk arts/crafts traditions of the Spiss area, and of the town of Levoca in particular.
  More info: http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=spism

Pilgrimage church

On a hill overlooking Levoca is the neo-Gothic Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. Up to 250,000 people flock here for the annual Marianske Pilgrimage the first weekend of July. In the 13th century, a small fort on the hill protected the townspeople from Tatar raids. To give thanks for being spared, they built a chapel (later a church) with a statue of the Virgin Mary. This statue is now the main symbol of the Marianske Pilgrimage, which during the Soviet Era became a powerful form of protest to the Communist regime. Pope John Paul II participated in the pilgrimage several times before (and once since) becoming pope.

More information: www.slovenskyraj.sk/vylety/levoca/en.html or www.royaltowns.sk/anglicky/index.php

Another prosperous Spis town in the 13th-16th centuries – and chief rival to Levoca – was Kezmarok. Once bustling with craftsmen and traders, Kezmarok’s well-preserved Old Town now offers visitors its historical treasures.

What to see:

• Main street lined with burghers’ houses, built in distinctive Spis German style with wooden gables and overhanging eaves
• Renaissance style fortified palace (zamok), originally the home of local aristocrats.
• 17th c. wooden Protestant church built without nails and seating 1500 with a wooden pipe organ.
• 15th c. Catholic church, Sv. Kriz, with stunning vaulted ceiling, main altar carved by the workshop of Pavol of Levoca, and Renaissance belfry
• Large, gaudy 19th c. Protestant church

More info: www.vysoketatry.com/obce/kezmarok/en.html or www.royaltowns.sk/anglicky/index.php

Click picture to enlarge. View Photo Gallery.

German settlers in medieval times helped make Banska Bystrica rich and famous with their advanced mining techniques for gold, silver and copper. Ironically, in the modern era this city - Slovakia’s third largest -- is best known for its heroic struggle against the Germans during World War II. The Slovak National Uprising of 1944 took the lives of 30,000 Slovaks – men, women and children. Be sure to visit the museum commemorating the uprising.

The glory days of mining from the 14th-17th centuries left an architectural legacy of gothic and renaissance-era patrician mansions, plus churches ranging from Romanesque to baroque. The historic part of the city huddles around a beautifully restored medieval marketplace, now called Square of the Slovak National Uprising (namestie SNP). Come and relax in one of the many cafés around the square. Home of one of Slovakia’s leading universities, Banska Bystrica sparkles with the energy of youth.

What to see:

• Museum of the Slovak National Uprising.
• Town Castle (Zamok)
  The late-Gothic style castle complex includes churches, burghers’ houses and remnants of the walls which protected the town from the Turks. Also Matthias’ House, built in the 15th c. for the wife of Hungary’s most famous Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus.
• Church of the Virgin Mary/German church
  Originally built in 1255, this is the city’s oldest building. The greatest treasure is a late-Gothic altar carved by Pavol of Levoca; after a fire in the 18th c., the church was restored in baroque style.
• Baroque Clock Tower (Veza)
  At the top you’ll have a good view over the town.
• St. Francis Xavier Church (Kostol Fr. Xaviera)
• Thurzo House (Thurzov dom)
  In the 15th c. this was the office of the most important copper mining company in the city. Today, it houses the Central Slovak Museum, with exhibits on the history of the area.
• Bishop’s Palace (Biskupsky palac)
  In 18th c. classical style
• Butcher's Bastion (Masiarska Basta)

More info: www.nizketatry.sk/obce/bbystrica/en.html

Click picture to enlarge. View Photo Gallery.

The oldest continually operating gold mint in Europe, using ore from the richest gold mines in medieval Europe, is Kremnice’s claim to fame. Founded in 1320 by Hungary’s King Charles Robert, the mint still produces commemorative coins and medals.

To protect the royal mint, a castle and thick walls – still standing – were built around the town. The castle’s richly decorated church (St. Catherine’s/Sv. Katerina) has five altars covered in gold and an organ with 3500 pipes.

What to see:

• State Mint (statna mincovna)
• Museum of Coins and Medals (Muzeum minci a medajli)
  Including paper money designed by famous artists, such as Alfons Mucha More info:
• Town castle (Mestske zamok) including St. Catherine’s Church
• Main square (Stefanikovo namestie)
  With plague column
• Ski museum (Lyziarske museum)
  The first ski race in the Austro-Hungarian empire was held near Kremnice

More info: http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=mmm

Slovakia’s second largest city is a historic treasure trove, as well as a lively melting pot of nationalities. The Old Town’s (stare mesto) pedestrian - only cobble - stone main square is lined with baroque and neo-classical mansions. In fact, Kosice has the largest preserved urban area in the country. It also has Slovakia’s most beautiful cathedral in the middle of the oval-shaped main square.

Kosice has the most diverse mix of peoples of any Slovak city: you’ll find Hungarians and Romanies (gypsies) – and the only Roma theater in the country. Kosice is also an excellent base from which to explore the caves of the Slovak Karst area and the Herl’any geyser.

Occupying a strategic position on medieval trade routes between Europe and Constantinople, Kosice rose to wealth and power between the 13th and 15th centuries. Germans and Hungarians have dominated most of the history of this city. Located close to the Hungarian border and with a large population of ethnic Hungarians, Kosice was seized – along with most of southern Slovakia – by Hungary during World War II, but returned to Czechoslovakia afterwards. Under the Soviets, Kosice became a steel town. US Steel bought the Kosice plant in 2000 and today is one of Slovakia’s largest employers (16,000 employees).

What to see:

Start with these top sights, but stay awhile to discover many other beautiful places this city offers:

• St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral (Dom sv. Alzabety)
  Europe’s easternmost Gothic cathedral.
• Medieval bell tower (Zvonica)
• St. Michael’s Chapel (Kaplnka sv. Michala)
  The city’s second oldest building, built in 14th century, served as the church for Slovaks, while the Cathedral was reserved for the German and Hungarian residents.
• Franciscan Church (Frantiskansky kostol)
  The second oldest church in Kosice, originally built in the 14th c. but rebuilt several times, it has a beautiful yellow baroque façade with gothic stone relief and frescoes inside
• State Theater (Statne divadlo)
  Operas, ballets and plays are staged in this richly decorated late 19th century neo-baroque building.
• Singing Fountain
  Water dances to music and is illuminated at night
• East-Slovakian Museum
  Exhibits include: Gold Treasure of Kosice - nearly 3,000 valuable gold coins from 15th-17th centuries, minted in Kremnica, but hidden during a rebellion in 1670, discovered in 1935; outstanding paintings; jewelry; coins and wooden Greek Catholic church in the back of the museum, originally standing in a village near Svidnik.
  More info: http://www.cassovia.info/cinfo/muzea/vsmuzeum/index.php
• Museum of Aviation
  More than just modern aircraft, this museum also chronicles ballooning and several early flying machines, including information on the Flying Monk, Friar Cyprian, who in the 18th century built a flying device. Cyprian’s monastic order felt the machine was a product of the devil, burned it in the square of Spisska Bela and imprisoned the inventor for life.
  More info on this museum: www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=ml_stm
• Jesuit Church (Jezuitsky kostol)
  Also called the Premonstrate Church. Built to atone for the grisly murder of Catholic dignitaries in the 17th century, the Jesuit Church was given to the Premonstrates order in 1811. It has a beautiful Baroque interior, with trompe l’oeil paintings from the 18th-19th centuries.

More info on Kosice: www.kosice.sk

• Krasna Horka Castle
• Betliar Chateau
• Jasov village
  Worth a detour to see
• Premonstrate Monastery
  Originally built in 15th century but redone in the baroque style in the mid-18th century. Surrounded by a lovely French-style garden, complete with peacocks, the monastery – in need of restoration -- is noteworthy for the well-preserved frescos in the church and library.
• Jasovska Cave
• Herl’any Geyser

UNESCO World Heritage site - Vlkolinec is the only inhabited village in Slovakia wholly untouched by modern development and provides a glimpse of what everyday life was like in traditional settlements of central Slovakia. The 45 log houses (with outhouses) from the 16-19th centuries, a log bell tower and functioning covered well for drinking water are all in use by the 20 residents. UNESCO judged it to be the best-preserved grouping of traditional housing in the entire Carpathian region (this includes Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). There is also a museum within one of the buildings
(more info).

More information: www.liptovtravel.com/info.html and www.liptov.sk/vlkolinec.foto.html

Also included in the Spis Castle UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, this small village is worth visiting primarily for its perfect little white Gothic church with large dark onion dome and interior frescoes.

More info: http://www.slovenskyraj.sk/vylety/zehra/en.html

On the outskirts of the city of Poprad is the charming, quiet village of Spiska Sobota, once the most powerful town in the Spis area. A beautifully-restored main square with cozy cafés, small restaurants, pensions and antique shops makes it a lovely outing. Important sights include the Gothic church of Saint Jacob (Sv Jurag) with its altar by Pavol of Levoca, Renaissance belfry, 16th c. St Anna’s chapel, 18th c. Protestant church, old Town Hall (radnica) and museum.

More info: www.vysoketatry.com/obce/ssobota/en.html

Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation of Spis Castle monuments, this one-street walled village has been the seat of the Spis bishop and Holy See officials since the mid 13th c. St. Martin’s Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace, bell tower, canonical houses and the town walls at both Upper and Lower Gates are the sights to see.

More Info:
http://www.slovenskyraj.sk/vylety/spkapitula/en.html