Zvolen

Zvolen is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. It is surrounded by Poľana mountain from the East, by Kremnické vrchy from the West and by Javorie and Štiavnické vrchy from the South. The population numbers approximately 40,000, which makes it the twelfth-largest city in Slovakia. It is the center of the Podpoľanie region and the seat of a county (Zvolen District). It is also an important transportation hub in Slovakia. Etymology The name is of Slovak (Slavic) origin meaning "the chosen one, splendid, excellent". The Hungarian and the German were derived from the Latinized form (earliest mention 1135). An adjective "Old" distinguish Zvolen from Banská Bystrica. History Zvolen has been inhabited since the Paleolithic. In the ninth 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 28 December 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.