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Zvolen ( ; Hungarian: Zólyom, 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).

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, 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). 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.

Sport

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

International relations

Twin towns - Sister cities

Zvolen is a member of the Douzelage, a town twinning association of 23 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.