Zvolen

Zvolen is a town in central Slovakia, it is the centre of the same name district — Zvolen district. The town with total population of about 44,000 persons is located on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers and at the foot of Javorie mountain range and Kremnica mountains.

The area between Hron and Slatina rivers was inhabited since Neolithic period. Then, around the VIth century, Slavic tribes settled there and made the first fortified settlement on the left bank of Slatina river. In 1241 all fortifications were destroyed by Mongolian forces and after that the settlement was rebuilt on the present-day area.

Zvolen as a settlement was first mentioned in written documents between 1172 and 1196, during the reign of King Béla III. In 1238 his son Béla IV granted Zvolen town privileges which were canceled after the Tatars invasion and restored only in 1243. Soon the town became the capital of Hungarian župa (administrative unit). In the XIVth century a castle was built there. In the period between 1440 and 1452 Zvolen was the residence of John Jiskra of Brandýs, the commander-in-chief in Slovakia subordinated to the Hungarian King. At the beginning of the XVIth century Zvolen castle became the property of Jan Thurzo, who rebuilt and fortified it in the way it could withstand the assault of the Turkish troops. After the strategic importance of the fortress was lost, Zvolen turned into a quiet and mainly agricultural town, which became a center of crafts. At the end of the XIXth century engineering and woodworking industries were developed, and Zvolen became an important transport hub after the railroad was completed. Nowadays the town is developed as a popular tourist and recreation centre in central Slovakia.