The World Heritage Town of Banská Štiavnica

Google Maps indicated no buses, an 18-minute walk, and only 70 meters of uphill road. Trusting Google led to a bit of a disaster—though the path was a gentle, winding curve, it was still a continuous uphill climb...😁😁😁 The hotel was located in the town center, with a beautiful exterior, a conference room that could accommodate 50 people, and a large wine cellar. The oil paintings in the corridors were extremely classical, but none of that mattered when I realized my room was on the third floor and there was no elevator. The front desk explained that the buildings here are preserved in their original state and cannot be modified to install one...😀😀😀 No wonder the entire town is a World Heritage site—every building is exquisitely beautiful, and I couldn't stop taking photos. The entrance fee for the Old Castle was only 1 euro, and the exhibits inside were enough to keep me occupied for an hour. Climbing to a higher vantage point to overlook the entire town, especially with a distant view of the Kalvária and the New Castle on the hilltops, was simply breathtaking. During the off-season, Kalvária didn't have a small train service, and even the Information Center couldn't confirm whether it would run on weekends. Many of the attractions were closed or suspended... The next day, I continued to wander through the streets and alleys, only to get lost again. Fortunately, a handsome guy passed by, and his English was better than that of most Slovaks. Upon learning I was from China, he shared his experiences of visiting Hong Kong and his desire to see the Avatar filming location in Zhangjiajie. When I asked about transportation to Kalvária, he not only took me to the bus stop but also explained the timetable symbols and informed the driver. The passengers on the bus even promised to remind me when we reached the stop... The blisters on my feet were protesting, as I had already wandered for four hours the previous day. However, it was hard to refuse his kind offer, and I had come this far...😍😍😍 For such a famous landmark, the path was poorly maintained, so I ended up limping back down the hill. I was even more embarrassed when two kindergarten teachers, leading a group of more than ten children holding hands, climbed past me at a faster pace. What a shame. I then switched hotels to a triangular attic on the hillside, which I found only with the help of a local who made a phone call. The place had a completely different style of decoration, and taking photos there would instantly produce trendy social media posts.🤓🤓🤓 The previous day, I had received a flyer from students at the New Castle, informing me of a three-day mini music festival that would start at 4 p.m. that day. I followed the town's elderly band of grandpas and grandmas, listening to popular tunes like "Farewell My Friend" and clapping and nodding along with the crowd. We then paraded to the Old Castle for the performance... As the only person with yellow skin and black hair in the entire town, it seemed that Slovakia still has a long way to go in terms of tourism development. #Slovakia #WorldHeritageTown #BanskaStiavnica #NewCastle #OldCastle #PublicTransport #MusicFestival