Podhorie

The village is situated almost in the middle of the mountain range Štiavnické pohorie. This range is a part of Západné Karpaty and belongs to Slovenské Stredohorie. The village is situated 6 km northwards from the district town Banská Štiavnica, along the main road leading from Banská Štiavnica to Hliník nad Hronom. It is connected to the road Bratislava – Zvolen. The village originated from two fields. Settlement Žakýl was for the first time mentioned in 1288 in the charter of king Ľudovít I. and settlement Teplá in the charter from 1388. These two villages merged for the first time under one mayor in 1509. Villages Žakýl and Teplá got their common name Podhorie in 1964.
Cultural, historical monuments and tradition
Cultural monument – Roman-Catholic Church of St. Elizabeth (1718) is a simple Baroque building with semicircular gate and pointed arches of Gothic-shaped windows. Under the pavement there is a crypt which is two fathoms long. A wooden bell tower (1873) is situated next to the church.

A part of the exposition in folk museum called Ľudové múzeum documents the life of a peasant in the past century. The village has typical folk costume which is richly decorated by embroidery made with curved needle. Exhibition deals with the history of the village, folk groups and it displays the puppets from amateur marionette theater, too.
Smithery was traditional craft in the village, because people from the village as well as from the wide surroundings devoted themselves to carrying trade – they carried wood to Banská Štiavnica. Nowadays it is possible to visit such a forge right in the village and buy some souvenirs as well. In the local parsonage you can see commemorative tablet and room devoted to memory of the priest František Richard Osvald, an important personality of national life, writer and publisher of religious literature, editor and translator who worked in the village for 36 years.
Teacher and writer Jozef Horák lived in the village in 1927 – 1945. He is commemorated by the tablet displayed on the building of municipal office. He described the customs and names of the village in his books called Hudcov vrch and Táliky, he taught children how to engraft trees and established the fruit grove called Štepnica.

Cultural festivals such as regional parades of folk groups and soloists from the wide surroundings are held annually in the natural amphitheatre.
Beauties of nature and tourist routes
Natural monument - tarn Žakýlske pleso was in 1986 proclaimed for protection of natural formation in neovulcanites also for scientific, educational and cultural aims. Remnants of the castle Žakýlsky hrad are considered the oldest historical monument. It is situated northeast of the village, on the hill called Brezový vrch. There is a tourist route leading through the village towards mountain lake Žakýlske pleso and castle Žakýlsky hrad. Another tourist route which has educational character connects itself to the first one. There are several stops for rest and beautiful view.