Discover Krupina District: Culture, Landscapes and History

Krupina District brings together literary history, folk architecture and distinctive landscapes. In Krupina, a literary walking trail and museums lead visitors through different aspects of the town’s history. Rocky areas, river landscapes and designated protected areas add further points of interest; Dudince is known for its mineral water. If you are looking for a hotel in Krupina District, choosing a theme can help with planning: should your trip focus mainly on Krupina’s history, geological features or places in the southern part of the district?

Krupina: Literature and Town History

The “Po stopách Andreja Sládkoviča” walking trail takes visitors to 16 places of interest in Krupina that are closely connected with the life of the Slovak poet. The Múzeum Andreja Sládkoviča offers a complementary perspective on literature and the town’s history: its permanent exhibition focuses on the history of the town and literary figures, especially Andrej Sládkovič and Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová. The trail connects places with the poet’s life, while the exhibition places literary themes in a broader urban context.

The museum also includes cellar areas known as the Krupina Underground. They can be visited during selected events and, following the necessary modifications, as part of a guided tour of the museum exhibition. Krupina is also home to the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a three-nave Romanesque basilica. German colonists built it at the beginning of the 13th century. The Vartovka watchtower represents a different historical period: it was built around 1564 during conflicts with the Ottomans and is considered the only Slovak watchtower preserved in its original condition.

Folk Architecture and Historic Buildings

The Sebechleby Ethnographic Museum is part of the Stará Hora Folk Architecture Reserve. It showcases regional costumes, folk traditions and customs. Stará Hora was added to the Slovak list of protected folk architecture reserves in 1981. In Lišov, the local museum offers opportunities to meet local craftspeople and take part in educational programmes, in addition to its exhibitions; the availability of these programmes may change.

Bzovík Fortress is also distinguished by its design: the fortified complex has four projecting round corner bastions and a moat. Čabraď Castle has a different historical significance. It is documented in writing from 1276 and historically served to protect routes to the mining towns. These differences make the sites interesting to travellers who do not want to view architecture and building history as a single, uniform theme.

Rocky Landscapes and Protected Areas

Štangarígeľ, also known as Krupinské bralce, consists of regular five-sided andesite columns, some of which reach up to six metres in height. The rocky area was declared a natural monument in 1975, covers 0.65 hectares and lies within the Štiavnické vrchy Protected Landscape Area. Here, a clearly recognisable geological formation and designated protected status go hand in hand.

The asphalt road from Krupina to Štangarígeľ is often closed to cars about four kilometres before the destination; tourist information recommends travelling by bicycle. As the closure may change seasonally or operationally, check the current access rules before your visit. When planning, it is therefore important to consider not only the rock formation itself, but also the access arrangements in force at the time.

The Mäsiarsky Bok National Nature Reserve offers another landscape of interest. It covers more than 120 hectares and lies alongside the railway and road between Krupina and Babiná. Its landscape features include fallen rocks and the flowing Krupinica River. Krupina itself lies on this river’s floodplain, at the boundary between the Štiavnické vrchy and the Krupinská planina. The Čabradský hradný vrch and its surroundings have a different protected-area designation: they are designated as a national nature reserve with the fifth-highest level of protection and form an important reptile habitat.

A Different Focus: Dudince

Dudince lies in the southern part of Krupina District, in the valley of the Štiavnica River and in the Hont region. The town is known for its rare healing mineral water. Dudince thus complements the literary, architectural and geological themes with a distinct local character. When choosing destinations for your trip, you can distinguish between Krupina’s town history, the rocky and river landscapes described here, and the southern part of the district with Dudince.

Discover more destinations: Domaníky, Hontianske Moravce, Devičie, Dolný Badín, Horné Mladonice, Kráľovce-Krnišov, Ladzany, Lišov, Sebechleby, Senohrad, Zemiansky Vrbovok, Krupina, Hontianske Nemce, Dudince, Sudince, Čabradský Vrbovok, Rykynčice, Súdovce, Terany, Trpín, Uňatín, Žibritov, Jalšovík, Bzovík, Cerovo, Hontianske Tesáre, Horný Badín, Kozí Vrbovok, Lackov, Litava, Medovarce, Selce, Drienovo, Drážovce, Čekovce, Dolné Mladonice.

For the overview of the wider region: Banská Bystrica.