Author: Sona Volentierova

Poludnica (1549 m above sea level) offers tourists an unforgettable panoramic view of the entire Liptov region.

From the top of Poludnice you will have a unique view of Liptovská Mara, the Western and High Tatras. There is also a rocky outcrop from where you can take a legendary photo of the Tatra Kriváň.

It is said that the old Liptov people gave it its name, who noticed that when the sun reached its peak, it was noon (poludnie) – that is, lunch time.

Descent through Ilanova valley was long and on road, so maybe it will be better to try other side to go down.

The Bralce Nature Reserve is located at the foot of Panská hora in the Štiavnické vrchy Mountains. Its highest point is Panský vrch (Kečka), which attracts hikers from afar. It is a very beautiful, although lesser-known location near the village of Hliník nad Hronom.

There are also very interesting sections with iron rails and chains between massive rocks. There will also be a variety of rock formations such as ravines, rock needles, canyons, rock windows and seas created by ancient stone mining.

On our path there was an old castle called Teplica, but only a few rocks forming a wall remains from it.

In the forests above the village of Lehôtka pod Brehmi, the Kapitulské bralá cliffs, formed by rhyolite lavas, rise up. During their activity, they created remarkable rock piles, seas and tall rock towers up to 20-30 meters high, which today form a kind of gateway to the Štiavnica Mountains.

Szabóova skala is an approximately 90-meter-high rock formation created by volcanic activity, which is typical for this area and the mountains in it. It belongs to the VCHU – Protected Landscape Area Štiavnické vrchy.

It was named after the Hungarian geologist Jozef Szaba, who conducted geological research in the Štiavnické vrchy. Szabóova skala forms an impressive stone entrance to the Teplá Valley. Its coloration, which is made up of pink and gray rhyolite, is also interesting.

A roundtrip from Štiavnica to Banská Hodruša and back. We started our run with famous Banská Štiavnica calvary.

Calvary Banská Štiavnica is the most important Baroque calvary in Slovakia and in the whole former Kingdom of Hungary – probably even in the whole of Europe. This calvary is a complex of 3 churches and 22 chapels with precious painting decorations, furnished by wooden and blacksmith movables and wooden painted reliefs. All buildings of churches and chapels are set into the western side of a solid lava column in the middle of an ancient volcano – a hill named Scharffenberg

Then we go through Banky to Jelenia skala above the town Vyhne.

Jelenia skala is only 800m above sea level, but the views are quite good, you can see Tribeč and Low Tatras from there.

Banská Hodruša is old mining town, first mentions are from 13th century, they mined gold and silver.Banská Hodruša has a lot of natural, technical and cultural monuments. Many mining handiwork and buildings have been preserved here until today, which is very valuable in Slovakian terms. Gold has been mined in Mine Rozália since 1993.
It is today the only ore mine in Slovakia and the only gold mine in Central Europe. A private company mines gold ore here. To date, about four tons of gold have been extracted in the mine. Logged ore is transported underground for 5 kilometers, then crushed, ground and processed by flotation on the surface.

I have the best parents, they support me a lot. This time our family day looked like this: early in the morning my dad drove me on top of the mountain range, where the tourist path crosses a road, then I run to Sklené Teplice where we end our day with bathing in healing springs.

This time I ran alone, trail I didn’t know, through Štiavnica mountains. Adventure:) It was hot, sunny, summer day.

Uhliská is a small village, the inhabitants were coal miners, they supplied coal to Levice Castle in the 16th century

Next stop was Richňava lakes. They are artificial lakes near Štiavnické Bany. Originally it was just one large tajch, built in the 18th century, which served as a water reservoir for the mining industry. Due to the excessive size of the tajch, there was a danger of water seepage and dam damage or rupture. That is why they divided the tajch into two halves, lowering the water level in the threatened part and strengthening the dam. Thus, the present two lakes were created, which, although separated by a dam, are also connected to each other inside the dam.

In the summer months, the lakes offer the possibility of swimming.

The path then leads above Štiavnické bane and Banská Štiavnica. the hot weather turned the grass into hay and the ground was powdery and dusty.

Paradajs is 939 m above sea level. m. the third highest peak of the Štiavnické vrchy after Sitna and Petrov vrch. Although the peak is overgrown with forest, the surrounding meadows provide one of the most beautiful views of Banská Štiavnica. On top of Paradajs, there is a large open meadow with an interesting stone structure – a menhir. According to tsome people, the stone circle is meant to harmonize and replenish vital energy.