Museums and galleries Kozelník

If you like art and find yourself in Banská Štiavnica, we invite you to Galéria Jozefa Kollára, which bears the name of an important native of Banská Štiavnica and representative of Slovak fine art modernism. The gallery is housed in three townhouses in the city center, on Námestie Svätej Trojice. The most valuable exhibits you can see here are two Late Gothic wooden sculptures of St. Barbara and St. Catherine. Their author is the mysterious master "M. S.".

Galéria Jozefa Kollára is a collection-building gallery, meaning it collects, processes, and makes works accessible to the general public. In its collections, you will find artwork from the 13th century to the present day. The permanent exhibition offers a tour of rare works with a mining theme, testifying to the historical and socio-economic importance of this region. The art-historical collection of the gallery features as many as 4,600 exhibits. The gallery is among the "green" institutions and also presents works of art that deal with global warming, nature conservation, or the ecological and sustainable human footprint in the landscape.

Be sure to also view the works of Edmund Gwerk, who captures the landscape from its harsher side in his paintings. In his work, he uses impressive figural compositions that record not only the dramatic atmosphere of the era, but also the specificity of the mining region. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the gallery also collaborates with young artists and presents their work through solo and group exhibitions. During your visit to the gallery, you can also admire the tasteful architecture of the building, courtyards, and unusual corners. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday, between 09:00 and 17:00.

After a great cultural experience, set off for another in the form of a proper adventure and jump into searching for treasure! It was hidden in the depths of the city by the famous polymath and cartographer Samuel Mikovíni. While completing original tasks in the City Game, you will get to know many hidden nooks and interesting streets. Exploring Banská Štiavnica in one day is certainly impossible, so stay longer and discover other great attractions in the surroundings. A rich offer of accommodation near Galéria Jozefa Kollára can be found on our page accommodation Banská Štiavnica. We wish you a successful holiday full of exceptional experiences.

In the picturesque nature of Štiavnické vrchy, you can find a small treasure. It is hidden on the steep slope of the village of Štiavnické Bane, offering a stunning view of the surrounding area. Visit the circular Bašta Štiavnické Bane, which is one of the popular tourist attractions in this region.

Bašta v Štiavnických Baniach was once part of the defense system of the anti-Turkish fortifications. Today, it is one of the restored attractions of the village. This is mainly because the original bastion underwent reconstruction, and its founder built a museum inside dedicated to Maximilián Hell, a native of the village. During the tour, as part of one of the two exhibition sections, you can view information panels concerning, for example, the first observatory in Slovakia founded in 1878, the first mine surveying office, or the first school or hospital established in this mining region. On the next two floors, you will also take a look at significant milestones of the village. The second part of the exhibition is dedicated to the life and work of the aforementioned Catholic priest, Jesuit, astronomer, mathematician, and physicist Maximilián Hell.

The museum is open on weekdays (except Monday). A set of 175 wooden steps will lead you to it. In addition to regular tours, guided visits combined with sky observation are organized twice a year. This is possible thanks to a professional telescope that the village purchased for the exhibition. Naturally, an expert is also invited to these events.

If you would like to enrich your trip with other interesting places, we recommend visiting the beauty of Prírodný park AVES. If you visit this region in summer, there is an opportunity to swim in the surrounding tajchy artificial lakes. The closest to the bastion is Veľké Richnavské jazero. You can visit Škola v múzeu not only with children. With a headlamp on your head, you can explore Banské múzeum v prírode - Banská Štiavnica. After a continuous layer of snow falls, you can ski on the slopes of the popular Salamandra Ski Resort.

Don't feel like rushing back home? Stay longer and book accommodation near Bašta Štiavnické Bane. There is a choice of many apartments or smaller cottages in Štiavnické Bane. It only depends on your preferences which accommodation you choose. We will be happy to help you with your choice.

Baňa Starovšechsvätých v Hodruši-Hámroch represents one of the oldest and best-preserved mining monuments in the region of Central Slovak mining towns, revealing to visitors an authentic underground world unchanged for centuries.

The site is located in the village of Hodruša-Hámre, in the Žarnovica district, within the Banská Bystrica Region. Baňa Starovšechsvätých is exceptional because it has preserved its original medieval and early modern form without significant modern interventions, allowing visitors to admire the precise work of old master miners. During the tour, you pass through narrow and low corridors that were carved by hand using a chisel and hammer, while traces of this strenuous activity are still visible on the walls today. The exhibition includes not only the mining spaces themselves, but also unique underground chambers, technical monuments, and a mining museum housed in the historic building of the knocker (klopačka). Guides, who are often former miners, enrich the commentary with expert knowledge on geology, mineralogy, and the life of the mining community in Hodruša. The atmosphere underground is enhanced by silence and a constant temperature, with the light of miners' lamps highlighting shimmering minerals in precious metal veins. Due to its authenticity and historical value, the mine forms an important pillar of education about Slovakia's technical heritage and reminds us of the importance of the Hodruša mining district for the former European economy.

What can you find here?

In the area and underground of the mine, you will find accessible historic adits, mining exhibitions with tools, and a unique exhibition of minerals and precious metals. The historic knocker building is available, housing further museum exhibits and documents on the village's history. Before entering the underground, visitors are lent a protective coat, helmet, and miner's lantern for safe movement in the corridors.

Who is the place suitable for?

The place is ideal for lovers of history, geology, and technical monuments who are looking for an authentic experience without commercial additives. It is also sought after by school groups as part of educational excursions and tourists who want to discover the true face of medieval mining. Due to the character of the underground, where there are narrow spaces and low ceilings, the visit is not recommended for people with claustrophobia, and reasonable physical mobility and sturdy footwear are required.

What can you visit in the surroundings?

Just a few kilometers from the mine lies the historic Banská Štiavnica (UNESCO) with numerous monuments, such as the Old and New Castles (Starý and Nový zámok). You can also visit nearby artificial water reservoirs known as tajchy, such as Hodrušský tajch, which offers opportunities for swimming in nature, or the picturesque village of Štiavnické Bane. For view enthusiasts, there is a hike to Mount Sitno or a visit to the Calvary in Banská Štiavnica.

He was profoundly convinced that everything he created belonged to Slovakia, and through his work, he tirelessly proved how beautiful and rich it is. Ján Kulich is one of the most prominent representatives of 20th-century Slovak art. It is precisely to his life's work that Galéria Jána Kulicha, situated in the heart of the village of Zvolenská Slatina in the Zvolen district, is dedicated. The gallery building with a large adjacent garden is located between the school and the Evangelical church. Here, you can admire the artist's work in all its diversity. Wooden statuettes from his childhood, drawings, and sketches, as well as monumental sculptures, have been preserved. You will not easily forget this artistic experience.

The modern gallery has its home in a simple linear building. The structure is oriented toward the north, where an old vicarage stood in the past. It was right here that historical figures once gathered, and it was also the birthplace of Terézia Vansová. Part of the gallery grounds is a restored fragment of one wall of the original vicarage with artistic embellishment. Before entering the gallery building, an engaging frontal sculpture will welcome you. It will look familiar if you have ever visited the village of Terchová in the past. It is a scaled-down version of the monumental statue of Juraj Jánošík that guards the entrance to Vrátna dolina. Its author is none other than the artist Ján Kulich.

The main mission of the gallery is to preserve and present the work of Ján Kulich to the public. Right here, you have the opportunity to get acquainted with the broad range and content scope of the great national artist's creation. The gallery's collection consists of almost 3,700 original works. You can admire wooden statuettes from the author's childhood creation, drawings, sketches, and paintings, as well as medals, reliefs, sculptures, and portraits. All presented works are assembled into several thematic circles of the artist's lifelong key themes. The exhibition is updated annually.

An interesting part of the gallery's activity is the implementation of educational programs targeted not only at children and youth. Cultural projects, creative workshops, and cultural-social events in the garden are organized here. Children love participating in fun trivia competitions and activities, playing detectives, searching for treasure, or taking part in drawing mini-workshops. The gallery also offers its unique premises for rent. If its grounds charm you, you can organize, for example, a family celebration, wedding, or wedding photoshoot here.

After a beautiful artistic experience in Zvolenská Slatina, we also recommend a trip to the nearby Vígľašský zámok castle, recreation in Športový areál Orlík in Zvolen, and a tour of the majestic Zvolenský hrad. A trip to Pustý hrad and a tour of the picturesque wooden articular church in Hronsek are also unique experiences. There are many more tourist attractions and sights in this region. Come and see for yourself. Book accommodation near Galéria Jána Kulicha and combine relaxation with discovering cultural and historical wealth. You can choose from the accommodation offer in Zvolenská Slatina and adjacent areas, or you can opt for accommodation in Zvolen. On our portal, you will certainly find facilities that meet your requirements.