Banská Štiavnica is one of the most beautiful towns in Slovakia, a small mining city set in the wooded hills of central Slovakia that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. For centuries this was one of the richest mining towns in the Kingdom of Hungary, producing silver and gold, and that wealth built the Renaissance and Baroque townhouses, churches, and mining works that fill the town today.
The old centre sits in a steep-sided valley between two castles — the Old Castle above and the New Castle on the opposite hill. The streets between are quiet and photogenic, full of pastel facades and small galleries. Below ground, the Slovak Mining Museum offers access to historic mine tunnels. The Calvary — a baroque chapel complex on the hillside east of town — is among the finest of its kind in central Europe. Scattered across the surrounding hills, the tajchy reservoirs, built to manage water in the mines, now make for excellent hiking terrain. Despite its beauty and UNESCO status, Banská Štiavnica sees far fewer visitors than it deserves, which is part of its appeal.