Ruin bar Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia

Do you have any idea what the ruin bar phenomenon is? If not, read this article and stay informed

Address: Ruinbar Limpacher, Námestie sv. Trojice 9/9, Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia

Web: no website, but on Facebook you will find facebook.com/limpacher

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Because I was in Budapest, where this concept was born, I had an idea of what it was about. However, I had no idea that such a bar was also located right in Banská Štiavnica, where we were at the mining festival in September - Salamander. We happened to sit in their beautiful garden, drank good Czech beer Bakalář and ordered food - smoked fried cheese with great fries, everyone was satisfied. In addition, we were served directly by the mother of the owner, who was extremely nice and informed us about the history of the bar, because our group of miners and geologists were really interested in the interior spaces. She also introduced us to her son, the owner, and we liked it so much that we even went there 3 times in one day! That's why I decided to write this article about them and what they put their money and energy into. Such a unique work deserves my time.

What is ruin bar?

Ruin bars were created at the end of World War II in Budapest in the Jewish quarter. When the Jews returned home after the war, instead of their buildings, they found empty ruins. They had no choice but to stay here and try to do business in order to make a living, and that's how the concept known today as the ruin bar was born. A worldwide network of ruin bars has even emerged. The point is that the historical buildings are preserved in their original state and are very specifically furnished.

Ruin bar Limpacher in Banská Štiavnica

Ruin bar in Banská Štiavnica is the first and so far the only one in Slovakia. It was founded by the young couple Milan and Veronika Kabina in a 500-year-old house on Náměstí svaté Trojice (Holy Trinity Square), which is actually the center. The reconstruction of the historic building took them 2 years, and due to the financial demands, they modified it a lot with their own help, with the help of friends and family. Each ruin bar is a unique piece. This one has been remodeled in the motifs of a botanical garden and ranks among the most creative bars in Central Europe.

The house in which the RUINbar Limpacher is located is very rare. It is among the top 500 protected monuments in the Slovak Republic and is the last preserved Renaissance palace house in Banská Štiavnica. It is named after its most famous owner, who was the wealthy silver miner Ján Gottfried Limpacher von Lienpach. This gentleman was even State Secretary to the Minister of Mining in the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy.

The house has 2200 m² and consists of two Gothic houses, converted into a Renaissance palace. Some walls are up to two meters thick and the main building material is stone. There is also a mining work over 500 years old, namely an exploration tunnel, which feeds into a system of about 2000 km of mining tunnels that were built in Banská Štiavnica. But don't expect a super modern interior. Ruin bars are popular precisely for their exposed walls, here you can also notice coal tar stains or deliberately visible cracks on the walls. No new plaster. You might feel like that wall is going to come down at any moment. Maybe the first impression when you don't know what you're getting into will be: my God, where am I, why doesn't someone fix it? :) but that would totally lose its charm. You have to go through all the spaces and you will gradually be amazed. The boys also dragged me to the men's toilet, that I definitely have to see it! Instead of urinals, there are hollowed-out beer barrels and the sink simulates a beer tap over a barrel...unfortunately, it was pouring water and not beer, which disappointed me, haha. At least there was an interesting sink in the ladies toilets, full of stones, girls don't pee in barrels :))

The interior design was entrusted to a leading Indian designer named Ashok Priyadarshi Nayak and his company Asharia. The bar equipment is unique, mostly works by world designers, mainly from India, Italy and Canada. Old meets new here. The goal is to make the experience of visiting such a place perfect, so that you can enjoy an unusual atmosphere.

You can also eat in this ruin bar. In addition to several types of Bakalář Czech beer from Rakovník (it also has its own history, it has been brewed since the 15th century), you can have, for example, asparagus cream with cashew nuts, Caesar salad and other types of salads, tartare, pasta, fried cheese, beef or chicken steak or schnitzel. Of course, soft drinks and a very decent selection of wines are also available.

It is interesting that on the 1st floor you will find a modern interactive museum called Journey in Time (you can find it on Facebook and Instagram or www.cestavcase.sk), where you can visit Banská Štiavnica of the 18th century in virtual reality. This is a unique project. There is an entrance fee here. The director of the museum allowed us to have a look and even showed us around personally, and it is definitely very interesting, I would recommend the excursions to schools. It's hard to get children and teenagers into a regular museum these days, but this might be fun for them.

Summary

If you visit Banská Štiavnica, be sure to visit the square by the church of St. Catharine at the unique ruin bar, the only one in Slovakia so far. I googled a bit and found out that we have a ruin bar even in Prague (CZ), which I had no idea about, it must be visited. It's called Kavárna co hledá jméno (in EN Cafe looking for a name) and it's in Smíchov (part of Prague). If I understand correctly, it's more of a cafe where you can have a good coffee, cake and breakfast, they probably don't usually cook there. Oh well, back to Slovakia. Ruin bar is set in a unique historic house, there are great drinks, food (they also cook here) and a very nice owner with a great Mom. All very friendly. So when we're here at the next mining festival, it's pretty clear where we're going to end up. Thank you very much!

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