Slaská: Local History and Hiking Routes

Slaská combines a historic town center with hiking trails that run through the municipality. When planning a stay, you can therefore focus on two different things: the town’s architectural history and the routes through the region. Slaská lies below the Kremnica Mountains. Its historic center is laid out as an extended street-type square and runs in a north–south direction. Access routes from Slaská lead north and south to Kremnica and to other municipalities in the valley of the Kremnický potok. Check the latest route information when planning a specific trip.

The Church and Historic Features of the Town

The Church of St. Gallus stands in the southwest of Slaská, on a slight rise above the town; the former rectory is located below the church. The church was built in the 15th century in the Gothic style and remodeled in the Renaissance style in the 16th century. The bell tower, baptismal font and fortifications date from 1654. The church continues to be used for religious purposes. If you would like to see the interior, check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Other religious and smaller-scale features are found in various parts of the town: a chapel stands northeast of Slaská, on higher ground, and the cemetery contains about 20 cast-iron crosses. A wooden cross stands by house number 57; Slaská also has a brick wayside shrine. These features differ markedly from the church in scale and form, adding smaller religious landmarks to the townscape.

The historic buildings also display a variety of architectural forms. Features include connected, two-story granaries and a separate, also two-story granary. A decorative strip with carved, wing-like elements runs along the northern wooden gable of house number 162. The two-story house at numbers 180–181 displays features of a German stone house; its southern section has stucco elements. In the group of houses numbered 190, 191, 192, 193 and 198, the documented features include gables, decorative elements, façade divisions, a niche and distinctive window shapes. The building stock thus ranges from larger granaries to details on gables and windows.

Hiking Routes Through Slaská

A marked hiking trail leads from Kopernica through Slaská to Jazierko Slobodné. Another way to include Slaská in a longer route is the Hauerland hike from Kremnica to Handlová. It passes through Jarabica, Bernardov, Slaská, Kosorín, Janova Lehota, Peklo and Triesky, ending at the saddle below Vysoká. A description published in 2023 gives the hike’s distance as 39 kilometers, with 1,672 meters of ascent and 1,791 meters of descent. It rates the hike as moderately difficult, level 3 on a five-level hiking scale, and allows two days for the route.

Another route is a 38.5-kilometer loop from Kremnica through Kremnické Bane, Kunešov, Slaská, Kopernica and Lúčky, returning to Kremnica; 618 meters of elevation gain are listed for this route. The two distance figures are similar. In addition to ascent and descent figures, the Hauerland hike includes an estimated duration of two days, while the loop route lists its course, distance and elevation gain. The main difference between the available information is the level of detail provided for planning.

For the Hauerland Trail’s entry into Slaská, a personal account from 2023 describes a section on paved roads and says it is marked as a hiking trail. Check current trail conditions before setting out; it is also advisable to check the condition of the marked hiking trail to Jazierko Slobodné.

Discover more destinations: Dolná Ždaňa, Krahule, Hliník Nad Hronom, Lúčky, Vyhne, Sklené Teplice, Bzenica, Kunešov

For the overview of the wider area: Žiar Nad Hronom.