Zvolen

Zvolen

Zvolen is situated in the Banskobistritska region of Slovakia. Zvolen is a small place. But in spite of it tourists will find a lot of interesting things there. Sightseeing is great there. Tourists can visit some castles, churches, museums and will hear interesting local legends. In the vicinity of Zvolen there are a lot of nice places, Ochova is one of them. There are some unique buildings there which can be examples of the national Slovakian architecture. Viglas and Zolna are two other interesting places where there are some medieval churches and the ruins of some ancient palaces.

Speaking about Zvolen we cannot but mention its two castles. One of them is Old Zvolen or Pusty Grad (Deserted Castle). It is situated on a beautiful hill 500 m above the sea level. It was founded in the 12th century. In the past it was the centre of the region of modern central Slovakia. Nowadays only its picturesque ruins surrounded by the forest can be examined. Old Zvolen is a favorite place of citizens and tourists. They like to go for a walk there. In Summer the performances are staged there which show the life of the Medieval Slovakia.

The other castle is called Zvolensky. It was built in the 14th century as a hunting residence of the Hungarian Kings. Nowadays there is an exposition of the National Art Gallery of Slovakia in the halls of the castle. There are some other interesting places in Zvolen such as the Church of St. Elizabeth, the Church of St. Trinity and the Forest Museum.

Zvolen can become a wonderful place for holidays in Slovakia. It is situated in a picturesque place surrounded by some natural parks such as Polana, Bocky, Prosishcko. Lots of mountains and cliffs of these parks are famous among those, who are fond of mountaineering. Sliach is a famous spa centre in Slovakia. It is situated between Zvolen and Banska Bistritsa. Sliach is also a nice place to come to Zvolen because there is an airport there from which regular flights to Prague are organized.

Tourists can enjoy their holidays in Zvolen all the year round. In summer they have a nice opportunity to stay in one of the farmsteads and to enjoy the advantages of agro tourism. In winter tourists usually come to celebrate Christmas and to take part in festive gatherings there. Not long ago Zvolen celebrated its 765 anniversary since its foundation. The local authorities had restored the old buildings of Zvolen by that date and the town looks beautiful now.