Between the 13th and 18th centuries Banská Štiavnica was one of Europe’s main mining centres, and grew into the third-largest town in the Hungarian Kingdom. At the centre is Holy Trinity square (Námestie sv. Trojice), lined with Gothic and Renaissance houses. It has a sandstone Baroque Holy Trinity monument. On the south side is the 15th-century Church of St Catherine  (sv. Katerína), with lovely net vaulting.

The Old Castle  (Starý zámok) was turned from a church into a fortress when the town was threatened by the Turks. Currently being restored, it has some interesting artifacts. The whitewashed New Castle  (Nový zámok), on a hillock to the south of the centre, was also built against the Turks. The town has a magnificent Mining Museum  (Banské múzeum), with several sites, including an open-air area outside the centre.