Banská štiavnica, Slovakia

Banská Štiavnica; German: Schemnitz, Hungarian: Selmecbánya – often the short form is used: Selmec; Turkish: Şelmec Ban'a) is a town in central Slovakia, in the middle of an immense caldera created by the collapse of an ancient volcano. For its size, the caldera is known as Štiavnica Mountains. Banská Štiavnica has a population of more than 10,000. It is a completely preserved medieval town. Because of their historical value, the town and its surroundings were proclaimed by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993. The fate of Banská Štiavnica has been closely linked to the exploitation of its abundant resources of silver ore. According to evidence from excavations, the site was settled during the Neolithic period.

Bratislava Slovakia

Apart from its beautiful location, and assortment of fine beers, the Bratislava also holds numerous historic attractions for a visitor. Its historic centre and castle district form an area which can easily be covered on foot. The silhouette of its medieval castle with its four corner towers, rising above the Danube River, can be seen from afar when approaching the city; today the castle functions as a museum.At the foot of the hill, below the castle, stands what is architecturally Bratislava’s most noteworthy edifice - a Gothic style church; between 1563 and 1830, the kings of Hungary were crowned within its walls.