Klopačka

The Klopačka in Banská Štiavnica is a distinctive two- to four-storey tower-like building in Renaissance-Baroque style, built in 1681. Despite its simplicity, it belongs among the most remarkable mining monuments in Slovakia.

At the top of the tower, there was a device – a wooden board used for knocking to summon miners to work. The knocking signaled shifts underground, festivities, or fires, and became an acoustic symbol of miners’ life.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the ground floor served as a prison for convicted miners and also housed the Brotherhood Treasury – a charitable institution that supported sick miners, widows, and orphans.

Today, Klopačka is a pleasant place to relax – it hosts a cozy tearoom offering more than 150 types of tea, as well as coffee, water pipes, and board games.