THE CITY of Banská Bystrica lies at the very heart of Slovakia, along the middle course of the river Hron. With copper, antimony, and iron ore mined in its surroundings, the city is one of many Slovak mining towns.
The mining tradition is also revealed in the town's name: The adjective "banská" is the Slovak word for mining. It is also found in the names of other towns with a similar history, such as Banská Štiavnica and Banská Belá.
The Hron environs look very different today than was the case in this postcard from 1915. Steam and tub baths were built on the island amid the Hron and the Svätojánsky stream in 1905. Later the stream was filled with soil, and the baths were gradually dismantled during the second half of the 20th century.
The citizens of Banská Bystrica can therefore merely reflect on what was their favourite place of repose only when looking at old postcards such as this.
Prepared by Branislav Chovan,
Special to the Spectator
