A historical area with mixed nationalities, in the 16-th and the 17-th century devastated by Turkish invasions. The volcanic mountains are rich in ores. Ore-mining was connected with general development of this region, it started with German colonisation. After the exhaustion of the reserve right under the surface and building a water system in the Štiavnické vrchy muontains in the 18-th century, mining started again. The main centers of this region are old mining towns Banská Štiavnica and Kremnica which are famous for their Europe's and world's primacies. It was exactly in the mines of Banská Štiavnica where in 1627 a gun powder was used to run the drifts for the first time in the world and in 1763 the first mine academy in Eurpoe - Banská akadémia was founded here. Since the beginning of the 14-th century the oldest mint in the world has been working in Kremnica. The natural riches of this region include several nature preserves with lots of nice features.

Kremnické Bane ( An old mining town, originally it was a village Kremnice, from the 16-th century an independent village. Valuable metals, especially gold ores were mined here. ) • Krahule ( There is an early Gothic church from the 13-th century approximately 1km behind the village. There is a geographical centre of Europe. ) • Kremnica ( An old mining town. One of the best situated towns in Slovakia. Gold-mining started here in the 11-th century already. The most important plant now is a state mint which is the oldest mint in the world. The centre of the town is the town's cultural preserve with many unique monuments. ) • Horná Ves • Dolná Ves • Bartošova Lehôtka • Stará Kremnička • Šášovský hrad • Žiar nad Hronom ( Till 1955 it was called Svätý kríž nad Hronom. Now the most important centre of coloured metalurgy in Slovakia. ) • Lehôtka pod Brehmi ( Above the village - Szabóova skala, a rock 50m high. ) • Sklenné Teplice ( A bath town, named after a glass smeltery which existed here since 1340 and after a warm mineral well. ) • Hliník nad Hronom • Vyhne ( The oldest brewery in Slovakia, in the 18-th century world-known baths. In 1945 they burnt down and have not been renewed since then. ) • Banská Štiavnica ( An old mining town in the Štiavnické vrchy mountains. The oldest documents about metal-mining are from 1075, the oldest town's name from 1217. The richest mining was in the 15-th century. In the 16-th century there was a decline. In 1627 a gun powder was used in the mines for the first time. In 1732 the water from the mines was pumped by a steam machine and 40 reservoirs were created for mining purposes. In 1737 the mining school was established here which was promoted to Banská Akadémia in 1763, the first University of this kind in Europe. ) • Antol ( After a manor house building in the middle of the 18-th century it became a home of Koháry's estate and developed as a manor's town. ) • Krupina ( The town was set up near a route going from the Podunajská nížina lowlands to the mining area. In 1244 it became a free royal town with a wide autonomy. ) • Devičie ( First mentioned in 1256. In the 16-th and the 17-th century it was destroyed by the Turkish invasions. ) • Hontianske Nemce • Hontianske Tesáre ( An old vineyard's village/town, a well-known ethnographic area with a special Central-Slovakian dress. ) • Terany • Dudince ( There are four curative mineral wells near the village, not far from the Gestenec hill. The illnesses of motional system and some of neurologic illnesses are cured here. ) • Demandice • Santovka ( From 1742 there used to be baths near the carbonic wells which disappeared during the Second World War. ) • Brhlovce ( A village on the Ipeľská pahorkatina hills. Stone houses cut into an andesitic massif are announced to be the nature preserve of a folk's architecture. ) • Žemberovce • Levice ( New Levice started to develop around a medieval castle which was built on a small hill surrounded by swamps in the 13-th century. It became the centre of Tekovská stolica. ) • Levický hrad ( The ruin of the castle with a manor house, originally built on an island's cliff. ) • Horná Seč • Kalná nad Hronom • Mochovce ( A nuclear power station. Nowadays one departement with with the power 440 MW has been tested. ) • Veľký Ďur • Čifáre • Vráble • Nová Ves nad Žitavou • Slepčany • Arborétum Mlyňany ( The largest and the oldest forest park with rare exotic trees from all over the world. ) • Tesárske Mlyňany • Zlaté Moravce ( This town has been developing since the12-th century. Zlaté Moravce were mentioned for the first time in 1113. The Turkish invasions in the 16-th and the 17-th century destroyed the town a lot. From 1735 the town has been the centre of Tekovská stolica. ) • Topoľčianky ( Since the 16-th century it was the town of many crafts. The fortifications against the Turks were biult here. A Classical manor house with a large English park and a Secession palace are interesting National Cultural Sights. ) • Hrušovský hrad ( It was built in the middle of the 13-th century. It guarded a route going through the Skýcovská dolina valley from Tekov to Ponitrie. ) • Skýcov • Veľké Uherce • Partizánske ( There used to be a town Šimovany on this place since the 13-th century. Nowadays it is the centre of shoe industry. In 1938 - 1942 a shoe factory and houses for its employees were built here - it was called Baťovany at that time. ) • Osľany • Čereňany • Bystričany • Zemianske Kostoľany ( The second largest power plant in Slovakia using coal and lignite from Nováky and Handlová. ) • Nováky ( In 1938 a chemical factory started to be built here and in 1941 lignit mining started. ) • Prievidza ( The historical and economic centre of Horná Nitra, the centre of coal mining. Special egg decoration (straw) is characteristic for this town. ) • Bojnice ( A bath town, the illnesses of motional system and some neurologic illnesses are cured here, mineral wells 30 - 48 C with the productivity 24l/s. ) • Chrenovec • Brusno • Ráztočno • Handlová ( A town in the Handlovská kotlina valley, the centre of lignite mining, energetic, chemical and consumer industry. )