Banská Štiavnica, national cultural monuments

Calvaries were built throughout Europe in the Middle Ages to commemorate the sufferings of Jesus. The Calvary in Banská Štiavnica was built by the Jesuits on the eastern side of the town, on the slope of Scharfenberg – Calvary Hill, facing the town. It consists of three churches and many small chapels. The upper church was called the German church, the middle one the Hungarian, and the lower one the Slovak, as masses during pilgrimages were celebrated in these languages. The Calvary of Banská Štiavnica is renowned not only for its picturesque location but also because, instead of the...

The castle complex of the Old Castle can be found in the center of Banská Štiavnica, directly above Trinity Square. His piece of Romanesque architecture can be considered the oldest preserved architectural monument in the town of Banská Štiavnica. It dates from the first years of the 13th century, when a community of miners built a large three-nave church here, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. At the end of the 15th century, the church was enlarged and fortified with walls. At the time of the Turkish danger in the middle of the 16th century, an extensive renovation of the building was carried...