Bansk tiavnica (Hungarian: Selmecbnya, German: Schemnitz) is a town in central Slovakia in the tiavnick vrchy (tiavnica Mountains). Population: 11,000 (1991). It is a very interesting completely preserved medieval town. The town and its surroundings were registered into the UNESCO List of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on December 11, 1993.
In the Middle Ages, for centuries, the main producer of silver and gold in the Kingdom of Hungary (Slovakia was part of that kingdom from the 11th century until 1918). Gun powder has been used here for the first time in the world in a mine (in 1627). It was the seat of the first Mining Academy in the world, founded in 1762 by Queen Maria Theresa from a Mining school founded in 1735. In 1919, after the creation of Czechoslovakia, it was moved to Sopron in present-day Hungary. In 1782, it was the third biggest town in the Kingdom of Hungary (with 23,192 or incl. suburbs 40,000 inhabitants) after Bratislava and Debrecen. The mining activity started to decline in the second half of the 19th century.
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Banská Bystrica (Hungarian: Besztercebánya, German: Neusohl) is a town in central Slovakia at the Hron river and at the Lower Tatra mountains. Seat of a region (kraj) or Higher Territorial Unit (VÚC) and of a district (okres).
In the past, Banská Bystrica was an important mining town. In the 20th century it was the center of central Slovakia. The town has a historic center.
The Low Tatra mountain range nearby provides good opportunities for winter sports.
Sliac is a small town located in the hearth of Slovakia (between Banska Bystrica and Zvolen). The town is known for its baths as well as the airport which has been used for military as well as civil purposes.
Lu?enec [lu-che-nyets] (Hungarian: Losonc, German: Lizenz) is a town in the Banska Bystrica region of south-central Slovakia. Historically it was part of the Nógrád (Novohrad) region and was its capital in the 18th century.
Fi?akovo (Hungarian: Fülek, German: Fülleck) is a town in the Banska Bystrica region of south-central Slovakia. Historically it was part of the Nógrád (Novohrad) region.
The first written record of the town is from 1242. In the town one can find the ruins of the medieval castle.
Zvolen (German: Altsohl, Hungarian: Zólyom) is a town in central Slovakia, close to Banská Bystrica, at the Hron river. It is the seat of the district (okres). The town has a historic center with an old castle.
Zvolen has a large wood factory situated near a heating company that provides much of the towns heat. The town features a cinema, a few internet cafes, and many hotels in the center that serve wonderful local food and numerous bars, restaurants and clubs. The town square was modernised in 2002 and is a good place to take an evening stroll. In wintertime an
