The route description Sklené Teplice - Banská Štiavnica
| Lenght | Climb | Descent | Max inclination+ | Max inclination- | Highest point | Lowest point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,4 km | 647 m | -382 m | 37,8 % | -24,6 % | 931 m | 351 m |
After relaxing in Sklené Teplice, head down the road to the village of Repište. There, look for information and signs leading to the newly built replica of the “Marcus” medieval castle and pass near St. Barbara’s Chapel. Continuing on the hiking path towards Banská Štiavnica, first over the ridge, get to Bartkov farmstead. Then, after passing through the Červená studňa intersection along the first Štiavnica water reservoir (“tajch”), descend into the center of Banská Štiavnica.
Stops on the route
Repište, Kaplnka sv. Barbory
The village of Repište lies in the northwestern part of the mountains Štiavnické vrchy. It is first mentioned in writing in 1388, when it belonged to the Šášov dominion. The village was founded by loggers and charcoal makers who charred wood into charcoal. At the invitation of King Bela IV, German Glaser Filius Gerhardi de Doplieze brought many German guests to the area. They were mostly Saxons, invited there because of their knowledge and experience in mining, metallurgy and, most importantly, in methods for extracting precious metals. In the village, you can see the church of Our Lady of the Rosary, built in 1857 on the site of a late Gothic chapel. The location of the protected natural monument known as “Wilckens’ commemorative trees” is indicated in the village cadaster. Prof. H.D. Wilckens was an important figure in the history of forestry at the Banská Štiavnica Mining Academy. Without a doubt, the natural conditions in Repište offer many opportunities to go for walks, hike, and search for mushrooms. Nearby are the ruins of the Šášov castle, the Revište castle, and the Teplice castle also called the Red Castle or “Pustý hrad Teplice” (i.e., abandoned Teplice castle). A good access road leads to the lookout over the Teplice ruins (629 m). At the “Pri Novom kríži” site is a replica of a medieval castle named “Marcus”, and also the St. Barbara’s Chapel. Apparently, the castle owner chose that name to honor his son Mark.
Banská Štiavnica - Námestie sv. Trojice
Banská Štiavnica (“Schemnitz” in German, “Selmecbánya” in Hungarian) is a historic town with a highly multicultural past. It is considered the oldest mining town in Slovakia. In the city and its vicinity, the mining activity was particularly intense in the last quarter of the 12th century. Gold and silver findings underpinned the monetary policy of the Hungarian Kingdom. That is why rulers of the territories granted privileges which favored those investing in mining. Banská Štiavnica already had an urban and mining legal code at the time of King Bela IV (1235-1270). In addition to indigenous people, “guests”, mainly from the Alpine countries and Saxony, came under the impulse of Hungarian kings. They brought to the region new, more advanced methods for extracting silver and gold. Being the wealthiest residents, the miners settled in the town center and were referred to as “ringbürgers“ or “waldbürgers“. Interestingly, the best-known gold mother lode was in the Horná Bieber gallery adit, where most of the world’s gold and silver was being mined. In 1690, the smelters in the Banská Štiavnica area produced 29,000 kg of silver and 605 kg of gold. At the time, that area was one of the strongest economically in Hungary and Central Europe. The town had been an important center of culture and education in Upper Hungary since the Middle Ages. In 1762 Empress Maria Theresa ordered the creation of the first technical university in the world, and Banská Štiavnica became the center of development of mining science and technology in Europe. In December 1993, Banská Štiavnica got the highest international recognition when the town, together with its nearby technical monuments (“tajchs”, i.e., artificial water reservoirs), were added to the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list. Among the most interesting mining monuments of Banská Štiavnica are the Ondrej shaft and the Bartolomej gallery, the Glanzenberg draining gallery adit or the Michal gallery adit. Other landmarks include the Holy Trinity Square, the Church of the Assumption, St. Catherine Church, the Mining and Forestry Academy building, the Old Castle, the New Castle and the Klopačka (“knocker” i.e. mine knocking tower). If you have enough energy left, do not miss seeing the Banská Štiavnica Calvary under the starlight. Although the trail does not include a stop at the Calvary until the next segment (the sixth segment), seeing it at night is a magical experience. In the course of a few centuries, artificial water reservoirs (“tajch”) were built around Banská Štiavnica. Those are unique technological works which fundamentally altered how precious metals were mined in the region. Originally there were about 60 reservoirs in the mountains Štiavnické vrchy serving both as water reservoirs and hydraulic power sources for driving mining machinery used in mining and ore processing. Today, only about a third of them are left. Many people go swimming in those reservoirs and enjoy their beautiful, natural environment. About 5 km from Banská Štiavnica lies the village of Banská Belá, first referenced in 1228 when the Bela territory and Bela Brook were first mentioned for their silver mines. The settlement received the usual name Baňa (Mine) when it became an important mining center. To distinguish it from the original settlement Baňa (now Banská Štiavnica), the name of the brook was appended, resulting in “Biela Baňa” (White Mine), “Feyerbanya” in Hungarian, “Diln” in German. Banská Belá was promoted to “free royal mining town” in 1450. The village is dominated by the parish Church of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist from the mid-13th century.
Accommodation on the route
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
Click on the “larger map” in the top left corner to see a more detailed overview of the accommodation
We recommend the following accommodation and catering establishments.