Zvolen

Geobox | Settlement
name = Zvolen
category = Town

---

image_caption = City centre of Zvolen


symbol = Zvolen_Erb.svg
etymology =
official_name =
motto =
nickname =
country = Slovakia
country_

state =
region = Banská Bystrica
district = Zvolen
commune =
municipality =
part =
river = Hron
river1 = Slatina
location =
elevation = 293
lat_d = 48
lat_m = 34
lat_s = 14
lat_NS = N
long_d = 19
long_m = 07
long_s = 3
long_EW = E
coordinates_type = region:SK_type:city
highest =
highest_elevation =
highest_lat_d =
highest_long_d =
lowest =
lowest_elevation =
lowest_lat_d =
lowest_long_d =
area = 98.727
area_round = 3
population = 43006
population_date = 2006-12-31
population_density = auto
established = 1135
established_type = First mentioned
mayor = Miroslav Kusein
timezone =

---

map_background = Slovakia - background map.png map_caption = Location in Slovakia
map_locator = Slovakia
map1 = Banská Bystrica Region - outline map.svg
map1_background = Banská Bystrica Region - background map.png map1_caption = Location in the Banská Bystrica Region
map1_locator = Banská Bystrica Region
commons = Zvolen
statistics = [http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/prvav2.jsp?txtUroven430611&lstObec518158&Okruhzaklad MOŠ/MIS]
website = [http://www.zvolen.net www.zvolen.net]
footnotes =

Zvolen (Audio|Sk-Zvolen.ogg|pronunciation; Hungarian: Zólyom, _de. Altsohl is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. It is the seat of an "okres" (Zvolen District). The town has a historical center with an ancient castle.

History

Zvolen has been inhabited since the Paleolithic. In the 9th century, a Slavic settlement (today the Môťová neighborhood) became a regional center of what is now central Slovakia. Zvolen remained the capital of Zvolen county until the 1760s. In the 11th and 12th centuries, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, Pustý hrad, was constructed. The town, originally built under the castle, lied on an important trade route ("Via Magna") from Buda to Kraków. Zvolen was granted town privileges by King Béla IV in the 1230s - as one of the first towns in the Kingdom of Hungary. The privileges were confirmed on December 28, 1243, after the original document was destroyed in war. Later, King Louis I the Great built a new castle, which became a popular hunting resort of the Hungarian kings. The future queen regnant Mary of Hungary and emperor Sigismund celebrated their wedding there in 1385.

In 1848-49, Ľudovít Štúr was a member of the Diet, with Zvolen as his constituency. In 1871-1872, two new railways were built and Zvolen became an important railroad hub and important industrial center. Zvolen played an important role during the Slovak National Uprising. Two of its armored trains, which were made in the local railway manufactory, Hurban and Štefánik can be seen near the Zvolen castle.

Zvolen is an important railroad, an important road hub and has a large timber factory and a technical university. An airport in nearby Sliač offers direct flights to Prague. The town square was modernized in 2002 and local businesses are popular with tourists. In wintertime an ice rink is constructed in the center and festive celebrations run throughout December.

Demographics

Zvolen has a population of 43,147 (as of December 31, 2005).cite web|title = Municipal Statistics|publisher = Statistical Office of the Slovak republic|date =|url = http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html|accessdate = 2007-05-03] According to the 2001 census, 95.9% of inhabitants were Slovaks and 1.2% Czechs. The religious make-up was 52.5% Roman Catholics, 26.4% people with no religious affiliation, and 15% Lutherans.

port

The local ice hockey team HKm Zvolen plays in the Slovak Extraliga.

Famous people

* Bálint Balassi, poet and nobleman
* Karol Beck, tennis player
* Jozef Cíger-Hronský, writer
* Ján Lašák, ice hockey player
* Vladimír Maňka, politician
* Vladimír Mečiar, politician
* František Velecký, actor

Partner towns

*flagicon|Czech Republic Prachatice, Czech Republic
*flagicon|Poland Zwoleń, Poland
*flagicon|Hungary Tótkomlós, Hungary
*flagicon|Ukraine Rivne, Ukraine

References

External links

* [http://eng.zvolen.eu/ Official municipal website of Zvolen]
* [http://www.tuzvo.sk/en Technical University in Zvolen]

Pictures