What to do and see in Banska Bystrica Region, Slovakia: The Best Things to do

The only LOVE BANK in the world is a unique place where people from around the world store their symbolic keepsakes of love, friendship or another special moment of happiness. LOVE BANK - is inspired by the true love story between Marína and Sládkovič - is created from the verses of the World's longest love poem - consists of 100 000 Security Boxes You can find the only LOVE BANK in the world in the basement of the house that is a part of 500-year-old gold mine. It is the house where Marína Pischlová lived for the most of her life. This house is a building of national and cultural significance as well as being part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The clock tower, also known as the green, weigh officeand lately also as the leaning tower, stands on the upper end of the Námestie SNP square in Banská Bystrica. It is one of the dominating features forming the outline of the historical centre of the town. Initially, the tower had also another purpose besides the one of the clock support - that of the watch tower. From the tower people could communicate with other watch towers on Vartovka and on Šachtičky, from where they were notified of any potential danger threatening the town. There used to live buglers in the tower, who in case of a fire went to the tower gallery and sounded the bugle alarm. The clock tower also used to be referred to as the weigh office tower, as it stood next to the town weigh officebuilding. Below the clock tower, there were the town torture chamber and prison. Since its construction, the tower has burnt out several times and undergone several modifications and changes. Since the start of the 20th century the tower has been leaning from the center line, which is visible even with the naked eye. At present the tower is leaning by as much as 68 cm. An old legend also provides an explanation as to why the tower is leaning: It was tilted by angels who crashed and seized its top while flying over its roof at night. Currently, the clock tower is open to the public, you can get to its top using the wooden staircase with 101 steps and from the tower gallery you will have a beautiful view of the cityscape of the whole square under your feet and the distant summits of the Kremnické vrchy Mts., or the Low Tatras.

The Old Castle - whose origins reach back to the early 13th century - is a review of all existing architectural styles by itself . Originally an Romanesque Chapel of St. Michal built by the community of miners was in the period of Turkish invasion in the 16th century fortified with walls, bastions and towers – and from that time it was used for military purposes. In modern times Old castle was used as a police station, an ice – stock, a town’s archive and library even as a gym! A museum since 1900 offers archaeological exhibition, exhibitions of tobacco pipes manufacture (a famous craft of Banska Stiavnica), blacksmithing, Baroque sculptures, old interior watches, torture devices, gun dartboards, exhibitions “The miners are coming”, “Calvary in exile” and more. The baroques tower offers magnificent view of the city.

The Mining Open – Air Museum with 40 000 visitors a year is one of the most popular sites in the region. On the ground the exposition shows old mining buildings, equipment, machines and geological history. Millions years ago here was the biggest volcano in Middle Europe. The most interesting part is the mine. Equipped with helmet, mining coat and lamp, you will go 60 meters deep and during a 1,5 km walk learn about the hard work of miners from Middle Age until the end of the 20th century.

A big park and even bigger dreams, that is PARK SNOW Donovaly! Excellent skiing conditions on perfectly groomed slopes and tracks for slalom, downhill, cross-country or the ever increasingly popular snowboarding. Ski slopes, at 900 – 1,361 metres above sea level with a total length of 11 km, are honed with snow cannons and perfectly prepared for skiers of every age group. Don’t miss out on the chance to try nighttime skiing or get a bird’s eye view of Donovaly by paragliding. If you are drawn to freeride or freestyle with its rails, jumps and other obstacles, then we’ve got our snowboard park just for you. Or do you want to skate, or go sledging, or try a ride in a dog-sledge or horse drawn sleigh, or go bowling, or stay indoors and ski on a trainer? Absolutely no problem here in Donovaly! And then in summer, Donovaly changes into an oasis of calm, ideal for relaxing, or an active rest for hikers and cyclists in the breathtaking countryside of the Low Tatra and Large Fatra Natio