Miners were once called to work by the knocks of a wooden mallet on a wooden board.
Five mining knocking towers survive in Slovakia, and two of them stand in the Štiavnica mining district. The sound of the Banská Štiavnica Klopačka (Knocking Tower) still rings out across the town three times a day, from a recording. The building also once housed a prison and the Miners’ Brotherhood Treasury, which supported miners’ widows. Today the Klopačka is home to a popular tea room with a cosy atmosphere, games and a huge choice of teas.
The Klopačka (Knocking Tower) in Hodruša-Hámre is exceptional for its clock mechanism from 1611, which still works. The tower and its clock are looked after by the local knocker, who will not only give you an expert explanation but also let you try the knocking yourself (tel. 0902 169 766, Peter Fridrich).
