The summit of Sitno offers the best views of the caldera (the great basin) of the Štiavnica stratovolcano, one of the largest volcanoes that ever existed on Earth.
Just imagine that its peak was five times higher than the spot where you’re standing now. It was almost 5 km high, and its caldera alone measures 15 × 22 km. Sitno has been inhabited since time immemorial. On the summit you’ll find the ruins of an old castle, from which smoke signals warned wealthy Štiavnica of Ottoman raids; the first tourist viewpoint in Slovakia, built of white andesite by Count Koháry in 1736; and the Andrej Kmeť tourist challet, where in season you can enjoy a bowl of kapustnica (traditional sauerkraut soup). On a clear day the summit crags give you views as far as the Tatras, a hundred kilometres away, and the Mátra hills in Hungary. If you walk up from Počúvadlo, the boards along the educational trail tell the legend of the Sitno knights. Sitno is under the highest (fifth) level of nature protection, so please observe all restrictions.
