The town of Zvolen located in the region of Central Slovakia, once the royal town, nowadays the district town of pulsing life and the 765-year-old history. It belongs to the oldest towns in Slovakia. Privileges granted to Zvolen by Belo IV in the year 1239 were destroyed during the devastating Tartar raids. Newly achieved royal privileges of December 1243 rank Zvolen to the leading historical towns of the past Upper Hungary.

Every significant town in Slovakia has its dominating feature round which it looks for its beginnings. Such a unique historical and cultural sight of Zvolen is the Deserted Castle, named also the Old Zvolen, located over the confluence of the Hron and Slatina Rivers. This castle was settled already at the Bronze Age (1100 – 800 before Christ). The present Zvolen and its surroundings were settled already at the Stone Age. The strategic position of the castle played an important role in the defence of this territory and mainly in protecting the crossroads of the two significant roads below the castle. According to archaeological findings the castle was also settled by Roman troops. Development of the Deserted Castle was recorded in the Slav period that began in the 6th century and reached the peak mainly in the medieval times in the 12th – 14th centuries. Zvolen was surrounded by the Great Forest – „Magnum Silva“ which, due to a great amount of game, was a very popular place visited by Hungarian monarchs. At the beginning of the 13th century, the surroundings of the present Zvolen were called „Praedium nostrum de Zolum“.

The town has started to gain its appearance with the characteristic square since the second half of the 13th century. Its ground plan layout has been affected by the main road (Via Magna) that forms the square axis.

During the reign of Ľudovít I (1370 – 1382) there is built the Gothic hunting residence for the monarch in the territory of the new town. It is a new castle in which is moved also the seat of the Zvolen župa (district). It was very popular with king Matthew Corvinus and his wife Beatrix, it was also Jan Jiskra´s seat and later Ján Thurza´s possession.

The Deserted Castle, historically also called the Old Zvolen, gradually loses its initial importance. During fighting of Jiskra against Huňady, the castle was burnt down and destroyed in 1451. Since the 16th century the castle played its role as a military fortification to protect the territory against the Turks, however, it was gradually deserted. With its area of 7.6 ha it belonged to the largest castles in Europe.

The Zvolen Castle is a national sight. At present it is the seat of the Slovak National Gallery. 

 

 

The Festival “Zámocké hry zvolenské”  is a unique event for all theater lovers. They are the oldest plenary professional theater festival in Slovakia. Every year, they take place in the Zvolen Chateau and offer the best from the portfolio of our and foreign theaters.

 

Zvolen has approximately 42,000 inhabitants.