Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains.
Banská Bystrica is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With approximately 76,000 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia. The present-day town was founded by German settlers who were invited by the Hungarian Árpád kings during the Middle Ages, but it was built upon a former Slavic/Slovak/Avar settlement. It became a part of Zólyom County after Hungarian conquest. In 1255, during the reign of Béla IV of Hungary, it obtained the municipal privileges of a free royal town of the Kingdom of Hungary and was resettled by Germans from Thüringen. The copper mining town acquired its present picturesque look in the late Middle Ages when the prosperous burghers built its central churches, mansions, and fortifications. It is the capital of the kraj and the okres. It is also the home of Matej Bel University. As a historical town with easy access to the surrounding mountains, Banská Bystrica is a popular winter and summer tourist destination.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Banská Bystrica
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Matej Bel University
Matej Bel University is a public research university in the central Slovak town of Banská Bystrica. The university was established in 1992.
200 m · Slovak university · Wikipedia - 02Wooden articular church of Hronsek
Wooden articular church of Hronsek is a Lutheran church situated in the village of Hronsek, in Slovakia.
9.6 km · church · Wikipedia - 03St. Francis Xavier Cathedral
The Francis Xavier Cathedral, Banská Bystrica is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Banská Bystrica, located at the Slovak National Uprising Square in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.
100 m · Cathedral in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia · Wikipedia - 04Banská Bystrica Castle
Banská Bystrica Castle is a castle located in the centre of Banská Bystrica in Slovakia. It is a part of a complex that features several other buildings.
200 m · historic site in Slovakia · Wikipedia - 05SNP Stadium
The Národný atletický štadión is a multi-purpose stadium in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. It is currently used mostly for athletics and football matches and serves as the home ground of MFK Dukla Banská Bystrica.
1.1 km · football stadium · Wikipedia - 06Slovak National Uprising Square, Banská Bystrica
Slovak National Uprising Square, or SNP Square is an area in central Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, named after the insurgency of 1944. It has been the hub of the city's life and a prestigious address for more than 600 years.
0 m · square in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia · Wikipedia - 07Urpín
Urpín is a mountain in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. It is situated on the left bank of the Hron river, above the old town.
1.2 km · mountain in Slovakia · Wikipedia - 08Banská Bystrica Ice Stadium
Tipsport Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. The arena, opened in 1956, seats 3,016 people, and is home to HC 05 Banska Bystrica.
700 m · indoor ice hockey arena in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia · Wikipedia - 09SNP Monument and Museum in Banská Bystrica
The Museum of the Slovak National Uprising is a museum in Banská Bystrica that commemorates the Slovak National Uprising of 1944, an antifascist revolt during World War II. The museum documents the history of the Slovak State, which lasted from 1939 to 1945 and collaborated with Nazi Germany, and the Slovak National Uprising. The Slovak National Uprising was an uprising organized by the Slovak resistance movement during World War II. It was not an insurgency but an organized military effort by the Allied-recognised resistance army—The 1st Czechoslovak Army in Slovakia.
300 m · Monument in Slovakia commemorating the period of World War II and the Slovak National Uprising · Wikipedia - 10Manor house Dolná Mičiná
Dolná Mičiná manor is a ruined manor house located in Dolná Mičiná in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia. It was originally a castle that was rebuilt into a Renaissance manor.
9.1 km · manor house in Dolná Mičiná, Banská Bystrica district, Slovakia · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Banská Bystrica has a beautiful position between the mountains. Therefore, it's a popular summer and winter resort. The heart of the old city is the SNP square (Námestie SNP) which dates back to the 13th century. You can find a lot of renaissance and jugendstil buildings here. These sights include:
- 01The Town Hall
This house belonged to a medieval miner who built this enormous house beside the town square.
- 02Central Slovakia Museum
Set in a beautiful renovated renaissance house, it also has expositions in two other historical buildings in the city.
- 03Marian`s Pillar
The baroque pillar was built in 1719 as a sign of gratitude to the Virgin Mary after the end of the plague.
- 04The Black Obelisk
Monument in honour of soldiers of the Red Army and the Romanian Army.
- 05The Clock Tower
Built around 1552 as a part of the Town market.
From Wikivoyage: Banská Bystrica, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Three parks for relaxation near city center are available:
- 01At SNP
- 02Tajovského
- 03Zahrada CNK
This park at a "center of independent culture" may be closed or used for different happenings.
From Wikivoyage: Banská Bystrica, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Healthy food, Kollarova 18. Vegetarian cafeteria with Slovak specialities
- 01Slovenská
Cheap restaurant with typical Slovak dishes.
- 02Cosmopolitan
Rudohorská 33, info@cosmopolitanbb.sk.
- 03Bernardov
Pleasant restaurant not far from SNP square, they offer mainly European food including steaks and pizza.
- 04Koliba
Krištofa, Uľanská cesta 170, 97411 Banská Bystrica, info@usvkristofa.sk.
- 05Plzenská
Námestie SNP 20, pilsnerrestaurant@stonline.sk.
From Wikivoyage: Banská Bystrica, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Banská Bystrica
- Airports
- Leoš Janáček Ostrava (OSR), 131 km · Budapest Liszt Ferenc (BUD), 145 km · M. R. Štefánik (BTS), 156 km
- Stations
- Banská Bystrica railway station, 1.3 km · Banská Bystrica mesto railway station, 400 m
- Bratislava → Banská Bystrica164 km · quickest by road, 2h 45m · €21–30
- Mošnov → Banská Bystrica129 km · quickest by road, 3h 38m · Kč270–360
- Budapest → Banská Bystrica138 km · quickest by road, 3h 46m · Ft3,640–4,850
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Banská Bystrica
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Banská Bystrica. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
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- 02661 km
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If you know how people move in Banská Bystrica – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Banská Bystrica
- Banská Bystrica Districtdistrict of Slovakia400 m
- Hronsekmunicipality of Slovakia9.6 km
- Badínmunicipality of Slovakia8 km
- Špania Dolinamunicipality of Slovakia8.1 km
- Balážemunicipality of Slovakia9.5 km
- Tajovmunicipality of Slovakia5.6 km