Zvolen

	Zvolen
	City
	City centre of Zvolen
	Coat of arms
	Coat of arms
Country	Slovakia
District	Zvolen
Rivers	Hron, Slatina
Elevation	293 m (961 ft)
Coordinates	Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area	98.727 km2 (38.119 sq mi)
Population	43,006 (2006-12-31)
Density	436 / km2 (1,129 / sq mi)
First mentioned	1135
Mayor	Lenka Balkovičová
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	960 01
Area code	+421-45
Car plate	ZV
	Location in Slovakia
	Location in the Banská Bystrica Region
	Wikimedia Commons: Zvolen, Slovakia
	Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
	Website: www.zvolen.net

Zvolen (<phonos file="Sk-Zvolen.ogg">pronunciation</phonos>; Hungarian: Zólyom, German: Altsohl) is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. With its ancient castle, the town has a historical center, which represents the seat of an okres (Zvolen District). Zvolen, has many beautiful tourist attractions, especially in the city, such as statues and colorful sprinklers that work in the summer. During the winter, there is an ice-skating rink in the city.

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 Zólyom 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, lay 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 the Rákóczi's War of Independence the Kuruc army in the battle of Zvolen defeated the enemy forces from Austria, Denmark, Vojvodina and Hungary.

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).^[1] 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.^[1]

Sport

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

Notable 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

International relations

Twin towns - Sister cities

Zvolen is a member of the Douzelage, a unique town twinning association of 24 towns across the European Union. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals.^[2]^[3] Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns (Agros in Cyprus, Škofja Loka in Slovenia, and Tryavna in Bulgaria).