Tips for trips

URPÍN HILL AND CALVARY

Calvary– one of the most beautiful jewels of Banská Bystrica winds around the north eastern foot of the Urpín Hill. Calvary means the place or hill of crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, respectively depicting the Way of the Cross. These depictions are the main part of the Calvary and commemorate the path of Jesus Christ from the Pilate House to the Golgota Mount.
Urpín Hill is recently an area consisting of historical alley with Stations of the Cross, small church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and new building of monastery.
Alley on Urpín was originally composed of 71 species-protected trees, mainly of large-leaves linden (59 trees), 2 horse-chestnut trees, 2 black locust trees and one field maple tree. All trees are up to 250 – 300 years old.
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross has in the church tower an 80 kg bell with an inscription: Dedicated to the Holy Cross, Calvary hill – Urpín, A.D. 2008. The portal of the Church is completed by two figures of angels holding the coat of arm of the city and diocese of Banská Bystrica.

HORNÝ HARMANEC – HARMANECKÁ JASKYŇA CAVE, ŠPANIA DOLINA AND STARÉ HORY

Horný Harmanec – Harmanecká jaskyňa cave. The cave is situated at an altitude of 821 m on the northern slope of Kotolnica Hill in the Veľká Fatra mountain range. A serpentine pathway from parking to the cave ascends 260 m uphill and is 1.4 km long. The cave ranks among the most important caves in Slovakia and is also a national natural monument. The cave has a fissure-breakdown character and features remarkable underground spaces with breakdown Domes, an extremely abundance of white soft sinter or a number of wintering bats. The underground passages and halls are formed in the Middle Triassic limestones.
Špania Dolinaa former mining village is Reservation of Folk Architecture and mining monuments. The picturesque village in the Staré Hory mountain range is dominated by an Early Gothic Church of the Transfiguration of our Lord from 1254. A covered wooden staircase with 162 wooden steps leads to the entrance of the church. On the square you will find the most important mining monument – Klopačka (Knocking Tower) building, dating back to the 16^th Today it houses the guest house and a permanent exposition of traditional bobbin laces. At the Klopačka building starts the Mining Educational Trail, which will take you through the village and the surrounding, where at several stations you can get to know the history of the village and mining that is closely connected to it. You can also see here typical mining houses from the 19^thcentury, combined stone and wooden buildings, plastered with clay and whitewashed with lime, with wooden shingle roof as well as several traditional wooden houses. There are J. Mistrík Historical School, mining tavern and shop as well as Copper Museum in the village. From the Maximilián heap, sights for the activities of local mines, you will get remarkable view of the panorama of the village and surrounding hills. There is a hiking, cycling and pilgrimage route of Barbara trail leading through Špania Dolina to Staré Hory.
Staré Hory was one of the oldest mining settlements since it was founded already in 13^th The development boom in the village occurred at the turn of 15^thand 16^thcenturies. In that time an extensive smelting complex for processing silver and copper was built in the village, what have led to the development of logging and charcoal production and trade. At the present time is the village well-known place of pilgrimage. Its centre is the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in 1990 was proclaimed minor basilica by pop) and also the nearby well with a statue of Virgin Mary, to which you can go through Rosary stairs. Every first Saturday of the month the pilgrimage is organised here, it is so called Saturday of Fatima. Staré Hory was the centre of partisan movement; you can find several partisan underground bunkers located around the village. Above the village there is a protected natural creation “Majerova skala” with the occurrence of protected and endangered species of flora and fauna.

HRONSEK – THE “ARTICULAR” WOODEN CHURCH

The “Articular” Wooden Church in Hronsek was registered in 2008 together with other seven Carpathian Wooden Churches in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. The church was constructed in the years 1725-1726 on masonry foundation, the construction of Lutheran church was in that time possible only under special conditions. The building had to be built entirely from wood, without using single iron nail, the building had to be completed exactly within one year, neither the direct access from the village nor the steeple were allowed. The pews in the gallery are arrayed as in an amphitheatre so that the altar is visible from each of the approximately 1100 seats. The Baroque altar with wooden column architecture dates back to the middle of 18^thcentury. Six altarpieces are extant, all of the same size and shape. They are placed in the altar, following the cycle of liturgical year. They are dated back to the year 1771 and made by Master Samuel Mialovič. The organ from the year 1763 is a particularly splendid specimen. It is so called positive organ, it has no pedals and has 6 sounding registers; the organ is located above the altar. Its perfect acoustics ranks are used also for interesting concerts of chamber music.

DOLNÝ HARMANEC – WOODEN WATER FLUME IN RAKYTOVO VALLEY

In the Rakytovo Valley closely to Dolný Harmanec you can find a unique cultural monument – wooden water flume for transport of stacked wood. Most likely it was built already in 19^thcentury and declared National Cultural Monument in 2001. Its total length is 2450 m. The water flume was widely used. According to records from the years 1916-1921 the city sold yearly in an average of 10,000 cubic meters of fire wood and 9,500 cubic meters of wood for general use. The transport of the wood from its original place to a communication in forests of the city of Banská Bystrica started by slipping the wood on dry surface (in Slovak:“rizňa”), then the wood was floated by water flumes to main water stream. From the inventory made by forest Master Ing. Július Petrovich in 1922 results that on the territory of Banská Bystrica city forests there were functional water flumes in the valleys Cenovo (with length of 4,650 m), Prašnica (1,840 m) and Rakytovo (2,400 m). In water flume Prašnica floated yearly 2000 to 2500 cubic meters of wood.

BANSKÁ ŠTIAVNICA

Banská Štiavnica is a city situated in the middle of Štiavnické vrchy mountains and is a real jewel in Slovakia. The city was registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its uniqueness. Based on Maria Theresa decree the first mining school was established here in 1735, which was also first such university worldwide and later model for the famous school of polytechnics in Paris. The city has an attribute “Silver Banská Štiavnica”, which refers to the intensive mining of silver ore with the greatest boom in 16^thand 17^thcenturies. The city offers over 360 monuments and buildings surrounded by beautiful nature. You can also reach Banská Štiavnica by the Barborská cesta trail. On the Sitno Hill, the highest peak of Štiavnické vrchy (1,009 m) there is view tower, from which you will have a wonderful view of the wide surrounding.
Banské múzeum v prírode (Open-Air Mining Museum) located on the former mines of Ondrej Shaft from 16^thcentury and Bartolomej Adit from 16^thand 17^thcenturies is has been opened for the public in 1974. The exposition is divided to the ground level and underground exhibits. In the ground level exhibit you can see original buildings and machines, underground exhibit consists of two deep holes on the Ondrej Shaft (Bartolomej and Ján) 33 and 45 m under the ground. The length of the underground route is 1,300 m. Samples of mining sites, exploitation equipment and mining methods from the 16^thcentury to the present day are installed in the typical mining environment. It is the oldest and thematically largest mining exposition in Slovakia and shows the development of ore mining in the Central European Area from Middle Age to the end of 20^thcentury. Particularly attractive is the Geological Educational Exposition, which presents the geological development of Slovakia on a small area. On a geological map and seventy stops you can search for rocks from your birthplace. Unique technical monuments of Banská Štiavnica region are concentrated here.
Glanzenberg is the newest exposition of Slovak Mining Museum and belongs to the oldest mining adits in Banská Štiavnica region. Several rulers from Habsburg dynasty in the past and significant personalities in the present time have visited the adit. To honour them there are memorial desks inside the adit. The mouth of the Glanzenberg Hereditary Adit is near the Memorial of World War II Liberators on the Kammerhófska ulica street. The oldest mention about the adit goes back to 1560. The adit played a significant rule in the beginning of the gold-silver mining on Špitaler ore vein at the foot of the Glanzenberg hill. Later it served for transport, ventilation and for technicians to enter the mine.
Kammerhof – Chamber Yard gives a comprehensive view of the history of mining in Slovakia, mining science, techniques and technology, education at the Mining Academy and book culture in Banská Štiavnica. In the 16^thcentury, Kammerhof became headquarter of Main Chamber-County Office, which managed the mining in the richest mining ore region, today´s Central Slovakian Mining region. Among the most interesting showpieces are mining measurement equipment, functional models of water pumping machines, original ceremonial mining cloaks dating to 18^thcentury and mining insignia.

ČIERNY BALOG – ČIERNY HRON FORESTRY RAILWAY AND FOREST RESERVATION IN VYDROVA VALLEY

Čiernohronská železnica –Čierny Hron Forest Railway – its history started in 1908 by constructing the first part from Hronec to Čierny Blh (at the present time Čierny Balog) with the traditional narrow gauge of 760 mm. A year later, the regular operation began. Other branches leading to the majority of valley were constructed gradually with the total length of 132 km. At the time of greatest boom 115 employees were operating and about 200 to 250 persons were daily transported beside wood transport. By decision of Government of SSR the entire Forest Railway had to be liquidated till 1985. Fortunately, even in the time of regular operations on March 18, 1982 was the remaining part of Forest Railway registered in the National List of monuments of the Slovak Republic. In Mai 1992 a renovated train for the first time operated on the renovated track to Vydrova Valley. At the present time operates the railway on the lines Chvatimech – Čierny Balog, Čierny Balog – Dobroč and back. The train fleet consist of diesel locomotives, two steam locomotives, one motor car M21004 and 10 historic wagons collected from narrow gauge lines from whole Slovakia and beyond.
Forestry Open Air Museum in Vydrova Valley has been opened to the public in 2003. It has an area 150 ha. There are over 60 stops on the three kilometres trail, which inform about the forest, its functions, biology, history, used techniques, but first of all about the importance of forest for our life. The most beautiful and important showpiece of this unique natural museum is the forest itself. The richness of its shapes was used by the authors of this Open Air Museum to create interesting examples of what is typical for forest and the work of foresters.

DOLNÝ JELENEC – STARÉ HORY, THE FOREST EDUCATIONAL PATH OF JOZEF DEKTRET MATEJOVIE

The Jozef Dekret Matejovie Forest Educational Path has two branches, both of which start at the monument of this significant forester in Dolný Jelenec. While the first route with the length of 9.5 km and 14 stops lead through the Veľká Fatra and through villages Horný Jelenec, Valentová, Rybô, Kohútová, under the Majerová Skala to Staré Hory, the second route with the lengths of 12.5 km and with 6 stops leads through Staré Hory, through valley Jelenská Dolina to the forest house Jelenská, under the rock Jelenská skala to the renovated bunker Mor ho! and further to Špania Dolina. The routes are of medium difficulty, passable in both directions, the second route even suitable for bikers.

MINING WATERCOURSE IN ŠPANIA DOLINA

A unique watercourse has several firsts. Built already in 16^thcentury it is the oldest work of its kind in Slovakia and with total length of 36 km it is also the longest one. It was a system of troughs and ditches that channelled mountain water from Prašivá through Staré Hory to Špania Dolina to power mining machinery in Špania Dolina in the famous age. The watercourse route follows the contour line with slight gradient and partly follows the Educational Trail from Banská Bystrica to Donovaly. The watercourse route is renovated and you can see it thanks to technical adjustments of terrain – notch, rock galleries, made ground or stone walls. Some parts of route are used for hiking, other also for cycling and in winter for skiing.