Rožňava

Rožňava grew on gold, silver and later iron mining in the Slovak Ore Mountains, and its square is unusual in having a freestanding Renaissance watchtower of 1654 planted in the middle of it, built to watch for fire and for the Ottoman frontier. The cathedral nearby holds a panel painting of 1513 showing the Virgin with mining scenes in the background, which is among the earliest depictions of mining work in Central Europe.

History

Miners had settled the area densely by around 1200, the town is first mentioned in 1291 and became a royal free town in 1410, and its prosperity rested on gold, silver and iron; the Roman Catholic diocese was founded in 1776, and mining, mainly of iron ore, revived around 1800 (Wikipedia, Rožňava).

What's there

• The watchtower - a 1654 Renaissance tower standing in the middle of the square.
• The mining panel - a 1513 painting in the cathedral showing miners at work.
• The square - burgher houses round the tower with the mountains behind.
• The mining museum - the Gemer region's collections in the town.

When to go

April to October is the main season. The tower keeps limited hours. Museums close on Mondays.

Before you go

The town is workaday outside the square. Museum labelling is in Slovak and Hungarian. It is mostly used as a base for the Slovak Karst and the Gemer castles.

Nearby

Betliar is north, and the Slovak Karst is south.

Key facts