Banská Bystrica

Banská Bystrica was a copper town, and in the sixteenth century the Thurzo and Fugger partnership working from here made it one of the most important metal producers in Europe. The money built the square: a very large sloping space lined with burgher houses, with a leaning clock tower, a plague column and, at the top, the town castle, a walled complex of churches and a barbican. The Low Tatras rise directly behind the town.

What you actually see

• The main square - a very large sloping space of burgher houses and arcades.
• The leaning tower - the clock tower on the square, noticeably out of true.
• The town castle - a walled complex of churches and gate above the square.
• The Thurzo house - the copper company's building, now the regional museum.

When to go

April to October is the most comfortable. Museums close on Mondays. Winter brings a market to the square and the Low Tatras ski areas are close.

Honest expectations

The city outside the square is workaday and industrial in places. Museum labelling is mostly in Slovak. Parking near the centre is difficult.

Nearby

Spania Dolina is north, and the Low Tatras are northeast.