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Where is Zvolen?
The historic Slovak town of Zvolen sits at the entry to the river Slatina, a tributary of the Hron river. The town covers an area of 98.73 km². It was first mentioned in documents in 1135 – it is one of earliest settlements in Slovakia located at the crossroads of important trade routes. In 1872 Zvolven got connected to the railroad system and became a modern communications junction and developed into an industrial centre. Today the town is home to a university of forestry and forest products, a theatre, and museums.
Pustý hrad castle
"Pustý hrad", known as “Old Castle Zvolen", originally was the Watch Castle of Zvolen, located opposite the town on a partly wooded mountain of the Javorie Range. It guarded the former transport and trade routes. People settled this area as early as the Bronze and the Iron Age. Today only a few ruins bear witness of the formerly impressive castle covering an area of nearly eight hectares, making it one of the largest in Europe.
Attractions in Zvolen
Other historic sights of this Slovak town are:
- Market square with late-Gothic Renaissance and Baroque buildings
- St. Elisabeth Church, built from 1381 to 1390 and re-built several times with Renaissance interior
- Town Museum with local exhibitions
- Remains of the town fortification dating from the 16th century
How is the weather in Zvolen?
The centre of Slovakia enjoys a continental climate with warm summers and temperatures as high as 25°C. The winter, however, is cold with average temperatures around zero. June to August is the best time of the year to visit Slovakia as temperatures are pleasant and rain is rare. Check out our web cams for live images of the region.