Cinobaňa: Archaeology, Glass and Landscape

Cinobaňa combines archaeological evidence, sacred art, glassmaking tradition and a diverse landscape. If you are looking for more than a single excursion destination on your trip to Slovakia, you will find a range of different themes here: educational trails focusing on the Kyjatice culture, historic buildings in Turičky, the glassworks in Katarínska Huta and nature experiences on Mount Strieborná.

Archaeology with Educational Trails and Exhibition

At the archaeological site of the Kyjatice culture, educational trails with information boards in text and images explain the work of archaeologists and illustrate the lives of our ancestors. Wooden shelters and pavilions are available to help visitors find their way around and provide protection from the sun and rain. In addition, a recreational and rest area has been made accessible at this site for residents and visitors to the municipality.

Another way to explore the history is the “Hľadanie stratených svetov” educational trail. It includes an interactive outdoor exhibition and complements the information about the Kyjatice culture presented at the archaeological site.

Strieborná: Bronze Age and Forest Landscape

At the foot of Mount Strieborná lies a cremation burial ground of the Kyjatice culture from the later and Late Bronze Age. On the mountain, the hillfort also preserves remains of defensive ramparts dating from the Bronze Age. Beneath this hillfort is a pseudokarst cave, creating a combination of archaeological traces and a distinctive geological formation at Strieborná.

For the nature-oriented part of the trip, the valley of the Cinobanský potok stream leads visitors along the watercourse to deciduous and coniferous forests, mountain meadows and springs. The area offers very good conditions for hiking. You can therefore focus either on historical traces in the landscape or on paths through forests, meadows and the stream valley, without having to consider the two themes separately.

Turičky: Bell Tower, Frescoes and a Historic Vessel

In Turičky, the wooden bell tower and the presbytery of the Evangelical church are listed in the Central Register of Cultural Monuments of the Slovak Republic. The bell tower is one of the oldest wooden sacred buildings and was already standing in 1371. The presbytery, the altar area of the church, contains valuable wall frescoes featuring several biblical motifs.

A single item of furnishings also tells of the place’s long history: a pewter bowl from the 14th century has been preserved in the Evangelical church in Cinobaňa. In the 18th century, it was used as part of the baptismal font. For travellers interested in cultural history, this offers a close look at architecture, visual art and liturgical objects.

Katarínska Huta and the Glassmaking Tradition

Katarínska Huta has a glassmaking heritage that includes a glassworks founded in 1836. Under the name R-Glass, the glassworks resumed production in 2015. It continues the tradition of producing soda-lime beverage glass, predominantly machine-made stemless stemware; smaller quantities of stemmed glass are also made by hand.

Under the Katarínska Huta brand, R-Glass also produces handmade mouth-blown glassware. This local theme is complemented by a manufacturer based in Katarínska Huta that offers courses in Slovakia on baking traditional Novohrad sourdough bread. Glass and regional food culture thus provide two distinct, craft-oriented perspectives on a stay.

Local Character

Public life also includes the recurring “Cinobanský kotlík” goulash-cooking competition. Another edition took place in Cinobaňa in 2025. This adds a culinary tradition of the locality to the archaeological, ecclesiastical and craft-related themes.

You can therefore categorize Cinobaňa according to your preferred focus: archaeology and the Bronze Age, sacred culture, glassmaking, hiking along the Cinobanský potok stream, or regional craft and food culture. You can find further destinations in the same broader travel area here: Poltár, České Brezovo, Hradište, Uhorské, Hrnčiarska Ves, Veľká Ves, Ozdín and Utekáč.

For the broader travel overview: Poltár District.