Oh, what a lovely town on the edge of the Tatra Mountains! We were looking for a good place to break our journey between Krakow and Budapest, and Banská Bystrica was one of the few stops along the FlixBus route. So I booked an Airbnb for two nights, not entirely sure what to expect.

The bus ride itself was absolutely stunning. We travelled through the majestic Tatra Mountains with raging streams, dense forests and pretty villages flashing by the window. At one point we even stopped briefly at a large ski resort — a reminder that Slovakia has excellent skiing, with resorts scattered throughout this mountainous country.

We arrived at the bus station on the edge of town late in the afternoon. After wandering in circles in search of a taxi with no luck, we ended up walking the two kilometres into the centre in the pouring rain. By the time we reached our apartment — soaked and tired — we were delighted to discover it was right on the main town square and incredibly cute, the perfect base for our short stay.

Banská Bystrica feels wonderfully off the English-speaking tourist trail. There were mostly local visitors, very little English spoken and no international chains in sight — exactly the kind of authentic place we love to discover.

After drying off and dropping our bags, we headed out to explore the beautiful main square. It was stunning, with fountains, statues and beautifully restored historic buildings all around. Many restaurants were closed or only serving snacks that stormy Thursday evening, but we eventually found a cosy basement restaurant tucked away beneath the street, with low ceilings, stone walls and the feel of an old wine cellar. It had so much character that it was easy to imagine whispered conversations taking place there during the war, people leaning close over tables while plans were made and names carefully avoided. Whether anything like that ever happened in that particular cellar, I have no idea, but in Banská Bystrica the thought didn’t seem entirely far-fetched.

The food was traditional and absolutely delicious. I had chicken served on a potato pancake while my partner enjoyed one with cheese — both were huge portions and we left suitably stuffed. We enjoyed it so much that we returned the next evening for dinner again.

With only one full day in Banská Bystrica, we spent it leisurely wandering around the historic buildings, popping into cafés for coffee and wine, and simply soaking up the relaxed atmosphere of this pretty mountain town. It was while wandering around that we began to realise just how important Banská Bystrica had been during the Second World War.

In August 1944 the town became the centre of the Slovak National Uprising, when Slovak soldiers, resistance groups and partisans rose against the Nazi-backed government and the German occupation. For two months Banská Bystrica became the headquarters of the resistance, until German forces finally took the town in late October.

That history feels surprisingly close when you are there. Today Banská Bystrica is peaceful and attractive, surrounded by mountains, with cafés around the square and people going about their day, but just eighty years ago those same streets were at the centre of one of the largest anti-Nazi uprisings in Europe. The huge Slovak National Uprising memorial just outside the old centre is a reminder of just how significant the town had been.

The next morning we hiked back to the bus station — my pack felt unusually heavy that day — and grabbed a coffee before boarding our bus bound for Budapest.