Banská Štiavnica is a small town in central Slovakia, in the Banská Bystrica Region, situated in the middle of an immense caldera formed by the collapse of an ancient volcano; the surrounding range is known as the Štiavnica Mountains. It lies roughly 150 km northeast of Bratislava, about two hours by road via the D1/R1 motorways through Banská Bystrica or Zvolen. The town has a population of less than 10,000 and no direct rail connection; the nearest station is Hronská Dúbrava, with a connecting bus of about 20–25 minutes.
Banská Štiavnica was an important medieval mining centre, with ore extraction in the surrounding hills dating to Roman times and serious mining beginning around the 12th century; the town is first mentioned in 1217. At its peak in the 18th century it was the third-largest town in the Kingdom of Hungary and the centre of one of Europe's most productive silver and gold mining regions within the Habsburg Empire. The Royal Mining Academy, founded in 1762, was the world's first mining academy. The surviving urban centre was formed during the 16th century.
On 11 December 1993 UNESCO proclaimed the town and its surroundings a World Heritage Site, including its technical monuments — among them the tajchy, more than 60 artificial reservoirs built from the 17th century to manage mine water drainage. Notable structures include the Old Castle, originating as a 12th-century Romanesque church and fortified in the 16th century, and the New Castle, built 1564–1571 during the Ottoman wars. The Baroque Calvary complex was built 1744–1751, and Trinity Square, the central square, has a Baroque plague column from 1764.