In the village of Štiavnické Bane, the premises of a former butcher’s shop have been renovated to become the new Banská Štiavnica Geopark information centre.
It will introduce visitors to the region’s remarkable geological and natural heritage and provide a base for presenting the geopark’s activities.
A new information point at the heart of the geopark
The renovated rooms are in the municipal office building in Štiavnické Bane, which lies right in the central part of the Banská Štiavnica Geopark. The new information centre will act as a point of contact for visitors, partners and the local community, and will also provide a space for presenting the region’s geological, natural, cultural and historical assets.
The centre responds to a long-standing need to strengthen the geopark’s infrastructure and make information about its most important geosites easier to find. Given its geographical location, Štiavnické Bane is a natural home for a presentation and information point of this kind.
‘We’re glad to have renovated rooms that once served a completely different purpose and given them a new use. The Banská Štiavnica Geopark information centre will help us present the natural and geological riches of our region better, and will give visitors a place where they can get an overview of what’s worth seeing across the whole geopark,’ said Stanislav Neuschl, Mayor of Štiavnické Bane.
Renovating the premises
The renovation covered two rooms on the ground floor of the municipal office building. The building work included patching and plastering the walls, patching and levelling the floors, and painting the walls and ceilings. One room will serve as an office and the other as a presentation area for geopark visitors. Here, information about the region’s geological and natural highlights will be presented through information panels, graphics and a model of the Štiavnica stratovolcano.
A building with a mining history
The information centre is being created in the municipal office building in Štiavnické Bane, which is also of historical interest. In the past, the building served as a mining chamber office and was part of the mining administration in the region. Its new use thus symbolically continues the area’s historical link with mining and with the natural wealth that the geopark presents today.
Investing in tourism infrastructure
The renovation was supported by DMO Región Banská Štiavnica, which contributed €3,636 from the membership contribution of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region Development Agency; a further €404 came from the village’s own funds.
‘Investment in tourism infrastructure is very important for the development of the regions. The new Banská Štiavnica Geopark information centre will help present our natural heritage better and will also bring more visitors to the whole Štiavnica region. Projects like this help create better services for visitors and make the Banská Bystrica Region more attractive as a tourist destination,’ stressed PhDr. Ján Beljak, PhD., Vice-Chair of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region.
The geopark in virtual reality
The project presentation also included a demonstration of how modern technology can help interpret the geopark. Using virtual reality headsets, a representative of Xplore4D showed how selected sites can be made accessible digitally – such as the Bašta building and part of the historic water management system built around Štiavnické Bane, which belongs to the technical monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This means visitors can explore these places without having to visit them in person.
In future, virtual reality is expected to become part of the exhibition at the Banská Štiavnica Geopark information centre. Xplore4D is also working actively with the village of Štiavnické Bane on preparing the digitisation of further sites in the geopark.
The new information centre is an important step towards the systematic development of the Banská Štiavnica Geopark. Further presentation features and technical equipment are to be added gradually, so that it can fully serve visitors, partners and the local community.
