Benedictine Abbey and St. Benedict’s Cathedral, Hronský Beňadik

Hronský Beňadik boasts the second oldest abbey founded in Slovakia, known as the Pearl of Pohronie. The first written record of Hronský Beňadik is the foundation charter of the abbey which dates back to 1075. The abbey became the heart of cultural life, fine arts and music, and there once used to be a theatre in its granary. The monastery was responsible for the verification of documents, safekeeping of valuable possessions, archiving of documents, and facilitated education.

During the Ottoman raids, it served to protect the trade route in the Hron valley, and to signal any imminent danger to fortresses. In this period (16th century) the monastery was rebuilt into a fortress. Believers and tourists come to Hronský Beňadik also to see the relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus. It is a piece of Veronica’s veil with drops of Christ’s blood. Pope Paul II donated the relic to King Matthias Corvinus as gratitude for king’s help in fighting against the Ottomans. Since 2015, the monastery has been administered by the Diocese in Nitra. In the granary building, there are exhibitions of the history of the monastery. An exhibition of the abbot's wing was recently added. The monastery is open daily during guided tours.