Banská Bystrica
City
Banská Bystrica's main square
Coat of arms
Name origin: "mining creek"
Country	Slovakia
Region	Banská Bystrica
District	Banská Bystrica
River	Hron
Elevation	362 m (1,188 ft)
Coordinates	48°43′57″N 19°08′57″E / 48.7325, 19.14917
Area	103. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million The Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak Banskobystrický Kraj) is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe Banská Bystrica District (okres Banská Bystrica is a district in the This article is about the River Hron For the Rector of Prag-Suchdol see Jan Hron Hron (Hron Gran Garam Granus is a 298 km long left tributary of the Danube The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 37 km² (39. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 91 sq mi)
Population	79 670 (2008-01-01)
Density	775 /km² (2,007 /sq mi)
First mentioned	1255
Mayor	Ivan Saktor (SMER, SNS, SZ)
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	97401
Area code	+421-48
Car plate	BB
Location of Banská Bystrica within Slovakia
Location of Banská Bystrica in a more detailed map of the Banská Bystrica Region
Wikimedia Commons: Banská Bystrica
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: eng.banskabystrica.sk

Banská Bystrica (Slovak pronunciation (help·info); previously known also by several alternative names) is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The Direction – Social Democracy (Smer – sociálna demokracia party — before January 1 2005 called Direction (the Third Way ( Smer (tretia cesta The Slovak National Party ( Slovak: Slovenská národná strana, SNS is a neo-fascist political party in Slovakia The Green Party (Slovak Strana zelených; until January 2006 called Strana zelených na Slovensku, i Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Since 1997, the Slovak car registration plate number (EČV evidenčné číslo vozidla generally takes the form XX-NNNYY, where XX is a two letter code corresponding A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million This article is about the River Hron For the Rector of Prag-Suchdol see Jan Hron Hron (Hron Gran Garam Granus is a 298 km long left tributary of the Danube The Low Tatras or Low Tatra (Nízke Tatry Alacsony Tátra is a Mountain range in central Slovakia. Greater Fatra (also Great Fatra) or Veľká Fatra ( Slovak) is a Mountain range in the Western Carpathians in Slovakia The Kremnica Mountains (Kremnické vrchy Körmöci-hegység are a volcanic mountain range in central Slovakia. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia. ^[1][2] It started as a permanent settlement in the 9th century and obtained the municipal privileges of a royal town in 1255. The copper mining town acquired its present picturesque look in the Late Middle Ages when the prosperous burghers built its central churches, mansions, and fortifications. It is the capital of the kraj (Banská Bystrica Region) and the okres (Banská Bystrica District). Since 1949 (except 1990-1996, Slovakia has been divided into a number of Kraje ' (singular kraj; usually translated as "Regions" with capital The Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak Banskobystrický Kraj) is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe An okres (in English district) is an administrative unit in Slovakia. Banská Bystrica District (okres Banská Bystrica is a district in the It is also the home of Matej Bel University. Matej Bel University (Univerzita Mateja Bela is a university in the central Slovak town Banská Bystrica. As a historical city with an easy access to the surrounding mountains, Banská Bystrica is a popular winter and summer tourist destination.

Etymology

With its multicultural history, Banská Bystrica has had several parallel names. The oldest known name is the Latin Villa Nova Bystrice (meaning "New Town of Bystrica") recorded in 1255. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[3] The old German name Neusohl ("New Zvolen") and later its Latin version (Neosolium) reflected the fact that some early settlers came from the nearby town of Zvolen (thereafter known in German as Altsohl, literally "Old Zvolen"). The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Zvolen ( Hungarian: Zólyom Altsohl is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers close to

The current Slovak (Banská Bystrica) and Hungarian (Besztercebánya − first recorded in 1263 as Byzthercebana)^[3] names include two distinct roots: the name of the local river (Bystrica, meaning "a swift stream" in Slovak) and the Slovak and Hungarian words for "mining": the Slovak adjective Banská and the Slovak and Hungarian nouns baňa/bánya respectively. The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. ^[4]

History

Barbican at City Castle with its Gothic (painted in red and white) and Baroque (painted in yellow) sections illustrates the main stages of the city's historical development

The earliest history of Banská Bystrica was connected with the exploitation of its abundant deposits of copper (and to a lesser extent of silver, gold, and iron). Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 The tools used by prehistoric miners at the locality called Špania Dolina have been dated to 2000-1700 BCE. Špania Dolina is a village and municipality in central Slovakia, near the city of Banská Bystrica. ^[5] People of the Lusatian culture built their settlements at Špania Dolina, Horné Pršany, Malachov, and Sásová. The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age ( 1300 BC - 500 BC) in eastern Germany, most of Poland Horné Pršany (Felsőperesény is a Village and Municipality of the Banská Bystrica District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia Malachov is a Village and Municipality in Banská Bystrica District in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia. Ancient hill fort locations are still reflected in the local toponym Hrádok, meaning "a small fort (later: castle)". A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. ^[6] The territory was inhabited by the Celtic tribe of the Cotini (Púchov culture) in the 3rd century BCE. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Cotini was a Celtic tribe most probably living in today's Slovakia, or (according to occasional opinions in Moravia and southern Poland. The Púchov culture was an Archaeological culture named after site of Púchov -Skalka in Slovakia. The Germanic tribe of the Quadi took over the place during the Roman Era, leaving for instance a hoard of silver artifacts in Netopierska jaskyňa (Bat Cave). Quadi were a smaller Germanic tribe, about which little definitive information is known The Roman Era is a period in Western history when Ancient Rome was the centre of power of the world around the Mediterranean Sea, where Latin was the In Archaeology, a Hoard is a collection of artifacts purposely buried in the ground

The present city was founded in the 9th century CE by the ancestors of the modern Slovaks. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is ^[6] It was later incorporated in Zvolen County in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946 The first known stone church was built by Saxon immigrants in the then still independent settlement of Sásová in the first half of the 13th century. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. In 1255, King Béla IV granted Banská Bystrica extensive municipal privileges in order to attract more skilled settlers. Béla IV (IV Béla (1206 &ndash 3 May 1270 King of Hungary and Croatia (1214-1270 Duke of Styria (1254-1258 ^[7] Descendants of the German immigrants to this and other counties became later known as the Carpathian Germans. Carpathian Germans (Karpatendeutsche Felvidéki németek Slovak: Karpatskí Nemci) sometimes simply called Slovak Germans (German Slowakeideutsche The city flourished as a regional mining center. ^[7][8] It built the Late Romanesque Church of the Virgin Mary in the second half of the 13th century. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which During the same period, Banská Bystrica obtained its own coat of arms inspired by the coat of arms of the ruling dynasty of the Árpáds. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The Árpáds or Arpads (Árpádok Arpadovići Арпадовићи ArpádovciArpatlar was the ruling Dynasty of the federation of the Magyar tribes ^[3] The local craftsmen were organized in fifty guilds, with the butchers' guild being the oldest. A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers A butcher is someone who prepares various Meats and other related goods for sale ^[9]

The affluent Fugger and Thurzo families founded the prosperous Ungarischer Handel company (the German for "Hungarian Trade") in 1494. The Fugger (ˈfʊgɐ family was a historically prominent group of European Bankers members of the fifteenth and Sixteenth-century mercantile Thurzo or Turzo (- German; Thurzó Turzo) was a Hungarian noble family from the 15th century to the first half of the 17th century having mostly Hungarian Depending mainly on the mines around Banská Bystrica, the company had become a leading world producer of copper by the 16th century. ^[8] With the most sophisticated mining technologies in Europe, an advanced accounting system, and benefits including medical care for its 1,000 employees, Ungarischer Handel was one of the largest and most modern early-capitalist firms. ^[8][10] An early record of the miners' industrial action is from 1526 when the City Council needed to take refuge within the confines of City Castle. The Ottoman Empire's thrust northwards led the magistrate to improve the city's fortifications with modern stone walls in 1589, but the Turks never occupied the region. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older European A magistrate is a judicial officer In Common law systems a magistrate usually has limited authority to administer and enforce the Law. ^[9] Banská Bystrica became one of the foremost centers of the Protestant Reformation in Slovakia in the 16th century. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time ^[11] Later on, the city had to fight for its religious freedom guaranteed by the Royal Charter against the ruling dynasty of the Austrian Roman Catholic Habsburgs, for its physical independence against the Ottoman Turks and for its self-governance against the Kingdom of Hungary's powerful magnates. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man itself from Latin magnus 'great' designates a noble or other man in a high social position ^[11] In 1620 Prince Gabriel Bethlen of Transylvania, a Protestant, was elected King of Hungary by the Diet meeting at Banská Bystrica. Gabriel Bethlen (de Iktár (- English, Hungarian: Bethlen Gábor, Romanian: Gabriel Bethlen, German: Gabriel Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian In Politics, a diet is a formal Deliberative assembly. The term is derived from Medieval Latin dietas, and ultimately comes from

The village of Radvaň, now a borough of Banská Bystrica, was granted the economically important right to hold annual fairs (Radvanský jarmok) in 1655. Radvaň is a borough of Banská Bystrica, located south-west of the city centre The fair was transferred to Banská Bystrica's main square in the 20th century. The copper deposits had been all but depleted by the 18th century, but new industries, such as timber, paper, and textiles, developed. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. In 1766 the city became the capital of Zvolen County^[7] when Banská Bystrica also became the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric (1776) and of several institutions of higher education. ^[9] Public services expanded in the 19th century with the foundation of a permanent municipal hospital (1820), a municipal theater (1841), and a municipal museum (1889). The railway reached the town from Zvolen in 1873. ^[7]

During World War II, Banská Bystrica became the center of anti-Nazi opposition in Slovakia when the Slovak National Uprising, one of the largest anti-Nazi resistance events in Europe, was launched from the city on August 29, 1944. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The Slovak National Uprising ( Slovak: Slovenské národné povstanie, abbreviated SNP or 1944 Uprising was an armed Insurrection organized Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[7] The insurgents were defeated, however, and Banská Bystrica was briefly occupied by the German forces before it was liberated by Soviet and Romanian troops on 26 March 1945. ^[9] After the war, Banská Bystrica became the administrative, economic, and cultural hub of central Slovakia. It has been a university town since the 1950s. A college town or university town is a community (often literally a Town, but possibly a small or medium sized City, or in some cases a Neighborhood Its largest Matej Bel University was founded in 1992. Matej Bel University (Univerzita Mateja Bela is a university in the central Slovak town Banská Bystrica.

Geography

Banská Bystrica lies at an altitude of 362 metres (1,188 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 103. The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the 37 square kilometres (39. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 9 sq mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ^[1] It is about half way between Slovakia's two largest cities, 208 kilometres (129 mi) north-east from Slovakia's capital Bratislava and 217 kilometres (135 mi) west of Košice. ARTICLE TEXT BEGINS AFTER THESE COMMENTS - PLEASE READ 1 Please do not edit the lead without reading Košice (; Hungarian: Kassa; (also known by other alternative names) is a city in eastern Slovakia. A chain of discrete suburbs and villages connects it with Zvolen, another major town 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the south.

Banská Bystrica is situated in the Hron River valley (Slovak: Pohronie). The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" The Hron River curves through the city from the east to the south. The city nests among three mountain chains: the Low Tatras to the north-east, the Veľká Fatra to the north-west, and the Kremnica Mountains to the west. The Low Tatras or Low Tatra (Nízke Tatry Alacsony Tátra is a Mountain range in central Slovakia. Greater Fatra (also Great Fatra) or Veľká Fatra ( Slovak) is a Mountain range in the Western Carpathians in Slovakia The Kremnica Mountains (Kremnické vrchy Körmöci-hegység are a volcanic mountain range in central Slovakia. All three are protected areas because of their environmental value. Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental cultural or similar value Banská Bystrica hosts the headquarters of the Low Tatra National Park. Low Tatras National Park (Národný park Nízke Tatry abbr NAPANT is a national park in Central Slovakia between the Váh River and the Hron River valleys Despite the proximity of these mountain ranges, the local landscape is dominated by the much lower Urpín Mountain, 510 metres (1,673 ft), which is a popular place of recreation. Urpín is a mountain in the city of Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. ^[12]

Climate

Banská Bystrica lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year It is characterized by a significant variation between hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

Demographics

The old town, viewed from Urpín Mountain, is the core of the original settlement

In 2005, the city had a total population of 81,704, making it the 6th largest municipality in Slovakia. Urpín is a mountain in the city of Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. ^[1][2] The population density was 790 per square kilometer.

The lavish gate of the Benický House on SNP Square displays a coat of arms of one of the aristocratic families from Banská Bystrica

The population was spread out with 13. 2% under the age of 15, 68. 2% in the so-called productive age (15-54 years for women and 15-59 years for men), and 18. 6% in the so-called post-productive age (over 54 years for women and over 59 years for men). For every 100 women there were 89. 5 men. The population was slightly decreasing (by 423) in 2005, with the number of deaths (727) higher than the number of live births (673) and a negative migration rate. ^[1] The life expectancy at birth was 75. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age 1 years (as of 2001), which is a figure close to the median life expectancy in the European Union. In Probability theory and Statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample a population or a Probability distribution The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ^[2]

According to the 2001 census, the religious composition was 46. 6% Roman Catholics, 30. 2% people with no religious affiliation, and 13. 9% Lutherans. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther People's ethnic self-identification was 94. 7% Slovak and 1. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is 4% Czech. Czechs (Češi ˈt͡ʃɛʃɪ archaic Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic ^[1] Before World War II, the population of the city also included significant Hungarian and Jewish minorities and many people were trilingual, mastering Slovak, German, and Hungarian languages. Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ ^[15] The Jews resided for a long time in Radvaň because they used to be prohibited from entering the city. The synagogue in Banská Bystrica was built in 1867 and demolished in 1983. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of

Economy

Banská Bystrica's economic growth, exemplified here by the construction of the Europa Hotel and Shopping Center (2007), mirrors the economic growth of Slovakia

While Banská Bystrica's prosperity used to be derived from copper mining in the distant past, the most important sectors of the local economy are now tourism, timber, and mechanical industry. Slovakia is rapidly becoming a Developed country, with the highest sustained GDP growth in the European Union, reporting 10 ^[2] Banská Bystrica is home to the headquarters of two of the largest employers in Slovakia, Slovenská pošta (the public postal service, ranked as the 3rd largest employer) and Lesy SR (the national forest service, ranked as 13th). ^[16] In the period 2007-2013, the city intends to work with Zvolen and other municipalities in the vicinity in order to jointly develop one of Slovakia's major metropolitan areas. Zvolen ( Hungarian: Zólyom Altsohl is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers close to ^[17] The municipal strategy of economic development envisages Banská Bystrica as a regional center of tourism, services, administration, and entrepreneurship. ^[17] The proclaimed three pillars of the future development are the natural and cultural heritage, information technologies, and infrastructure. ^[17]

GDP per capita in 2001 was €3,643, which was below Slovakia's average (€4,400). Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ^[2] GDP per capita for the Banská Bystrica Region (Banskobystrický kraj) in 2004 was PPS €10,148. The Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak Banskobystrický Kraj) is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e 70 (current euros), which was below Slovakia's average of PPS €12,196. 20. ^[18] More recent data disaggregated to the level of districts or municipalities are not available, but all of Slovakia's regional seats have per-capita GDPs above their region averages. The unemployment rate in Banská Bystrica was 6. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 2% in December 2006,^[19] below the country's average of 9. 4% at that time. ^[20] The unemployment rate in the whole country has been decreasing since then, reaching 7. 8% in November 2007. ^[21]

The city has a balanced budget of more than one billion Slovak korunas (almost €33 million, as of 2007), with a small deficit of 37 million korunas. The Slovak koruna (slovenská koruna is the currency of Slovakia since February 8, 1993. ^[22] More than one fifth of the budget was used for investment. ^[22] The highest revenue comes from the income tax of persons (437 million korunas in 2006). ^[22]

Places of interest

Námestie SNP is the natural center of the city

Most of the historical monuments are concentrated near its central, picturesque SNP Square (Slovak: Námestie SNP), which teems with flowers and street cafes in the summer. Slovak National Uprising Square ( Námestie Slovenského národného povstania) or SNP Square ( Námestie SNP) is an area in central Banská Bystrica The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" The square is named after the Slovak National Uprising. The Slovak National Uprising ( Slovak: Slovenské národné povstanie, abbreviated SNP or 1944 Uprising was an armed Insurrection organized It is dominated by a clock tower built in 1552. A clock tower is a Tower built with one or more (often four Clock faces. Although less known than its famous counterpart in Pisa, it is a leaning tower with the top 40 centimeters (16 in. The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa or simply The Tower of Pisa (it La Torre di Pisa is the Campanile, or freestanding bell tower of the A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth ) off the perpendicular. ^[9] A plague column (Slovak: Morový stĺp) was erected in the square in the 18th century in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for ending a deadly plague. Marian columns are religious monuments built in honour of the Virgin Mary, often in thanksgiving for the ending of a plague or for some other help Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as The column was temporarily removed before a visit of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1964 because a religious symbol was considered too embarrassing a background for the Communist leader's speech. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (April 17 1894 – September 11 1971 served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 following ^[15] The St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (Slovak: Kapitulský kostol, "Chapter Church") is a copy of the Jesuit Church of the Gesu in Rome and is since 1776 the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Banská Bystrica. The St Francis Xavier Cathedral (Katedrála svätého Františka Xaverského usually called Kapitulský kostol meaning "Chapter Church" is a cathedral The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order For the school see Gesu School. The Church of the Gesù (dʒeˈzu in Italian, Chiesa del Sacro Nome di Gesù, or Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 ^[9] Other major monuments on the square include an Art Nouveau fountain from the beginning of the 20th century and a black obelisk raised to the honor of the Soviet soldiers killed during the liberation of the city in 1945. Art Nouveau ( nu vo anglicised /ˈɑːt nuːvəu/ ( French for 'new art' also known as Jugendstil ( German for 'youth style' is an international An obelisk (from Greek ὀβελίσκος - obeliskos, diminutive of ὀβελός - obelos, "spit nail pointed pillar"

Most buildings enclosing the square and in the nearby streets are well-preserved Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque noblemen's mansions and wealthy burghers' residences. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe in which there was a Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime The most interesting among them are the Benický House and the Thurzo House, the latter hosting a museum with a regional archaeological collection and remarkable Gothic frescos. Fresco (plural either frescos or frescoes) is any of several related Painting types done on Plaster on walls or ^[9] Most of the buildings in the center have been transformed into luxury stores, restaurants, and cafes. ^[15] SNP Square itself was completely reconstructed in 1994. ^[15]

The museum located at the Memorial of the Slovak National Uprising contains a large military collection, including an open-air exhibition of World War II tanks, artillery, aircraft, and armored trains. The Slovak National Uprising ( Slovak: Slovenské národné povstanie, abbreviated SNP or 1944 Uprising was an armed Insurrection organized An open air museum is a distinct type of Museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors An armoured train is a Train protected with armour. Usually they are equipped with Railroad cars armed with Artillery and Machine guns

Banská Bystrica has also a large network of marked hiking trails all around the city. In wintertime, it attracts fans of cross-country skiing and downhill skiing, as there are a number of ski resorts close to the city, including the Donovaly resort famous for dogsled racing. Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe, The downhill is an Alpine skiing discipline The rules for the downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships Donovaly (Dóval is a village in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia. Dogsled racing, more accurately referred to as Sleddog Racing is a winter dog sport involving the timed competition of teams of Sleddogs that pull a sled

City Castle

A preserved part of City Castle

The oldest part of Banská Bystrica is City Castle at the edge of SNP Square. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. It is enclosed within what has remained of its original fortifications − a barbican protecting the main gate, three bastions, and part of the walls. A barbican (from medieval Latin barbecana, "outer fortification of a city or castle" a general Romanic word perhaps from Arabic or A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a Fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall (termed curtain with the shape City Castle served as the city 's administrative center and it also protected the king's treasury. ^[23] The Parish Church (Slovak: Farský kostol) of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles contains precious Gothic altars and sculptures. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which ^[9] One of the altars was carved by the famous Master Paul of Levoča. Master Paul of Levoča (Lőcsei Pál mester Majster Pavol z Levočewas a medieval Carver and sculptor of the15th and 16th century active The church was built in the 13th century. It is still surrounded by remnants of its ancient cemetery. The neighboring Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1452 by the Slovak burghers as a counterpart to the Church of the Virgin Mary that then acquired the attribute German. ^[23] The Matthias House (Slovak: Matejov dom) was built in 1479 as a five-story late-Gothic structure with a Gothic portal and stone console balcony. It served as a temporary residence of King Matthias Corvinus and his Queen Consort Beatrix. Matthias Corvinus ( Matthias the Just; February 23 1443 &ndash April 6 1490) was King of Hungary and The Renaissance Old Town Hall, dated from 1500, has been transformed into an art museum. ^[24]

Culture

Theaters

There are four theaters in Banská Bystrica. The State Opera (Slovak: Štátna opera v Banskej Bystrici) was founded in 1959. An opera house is a theater building used for Opera performances that consists of a stage an orchestra pit audience seating and backstage facilities for costumes The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" ^[25] It has given the opera world several divas, Edita Gruberová being the most famous one. A diva is a celebrated female singer The Italian term is used to describe a woman of rare outstanding talent in the world of Opera, and by extension in theatre and Edita Gruberová (born December 23, 1946, Bratislava) is a Slovak Soprano who is one of the most acclaimed Coloraturas of ^[25] Every summer, the State Opera organizes a popular open-air festival at Zvolen Castle. Zvolen Castle ( Slovak: Zvolenský zámok or incorrectly Zvolenský hrad) is a medieval Castle located on a hill near the center of Zvolen ^[25] Štúdio tanca is a professional contemporary dance theater established in 1998. Contemporary dance is the name given to a group of 20th century Concert dance forms ^[26] A professional marionette theater, Bábkové divadlo na Rázcestí (Puppet Theater at the Fork in the Road) founded in 1960, organizes the only marionette festival in Slovakia. A marionette is a Puppet controlled from above using strings a marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. ^[27] Theatre from the Passage (Slovak: Divadlo z Pasáže) is Slovakia's only theater with a mentally disabled cast^[28] whose mission is to help integrate mentally disabled people in society. Developmental disability is a term used to describe life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical or combination of mental and physical impairments

Museums

Slovak National Uprising Museum

The oldest museum in the city is the Museum of Central Slovakia (Slovak: Stredoslovenské múzeum), founded in 1889. ^[29] Its historical exposition is located in the Thurzo House on SNP Square, while the natural history exposition is in the Tihányi Mansion in Radvaň. Radvaň is a borough of Banská Bystrica, located south-west of the city centre The Old Town Hall building at City Castle hosts the State Gallery (Slovak: Štátna Galéria) specialized in contemporary Slovak art. Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. ^[30] The Museum of the Slovak National Uprising (Slovak: Múzeum Slovenského národného povstania) features a collection of 203,000 militaria, including an open-air exhibition of World War II heavy weapons. Militaria are artifacts or Replicas of Military, Police, etc collected for their Historical significance World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[31] Other noteworthy museums are the regional Literature and Music Museum (Slovak: Literárne a hudobné múzeum)^[32] and Slovakia's only Postal Museum (Slovak: Poštové múzeum Slovenskej pošty). ^[33]

Folklore

There are four folklore ensembles for adults and three for children. History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological ^[34] Their aim is to preserve and present Slovak folklore traditions, especially the traditional music. The oldest one is the award-winning Urpín Folklore Ensemble, founded in 1957. ^[35] Mladosť Folklore Ensemble is affiliated with University of Matej Bel. ^[36]

Sport

FK Dukla Banská Bystrica is the local football club, playing in the top Slovak football league, the Corgoň Liga. FK Dukla Banská Bystrica is a Slovak football club playing in the town of Banská Bystrica. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The Corgoň Liga is the top division of Slovak football. There are 12 teams in the competition They have their home ground at SNP Stadium, with a capacity of 10,000. SNP Stadium (Slovak Štadión SNP) is a multi-use Stadium in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. Other clubs based in the city include the non-Extraliga ice hockey club HC05 Banská Bystrica and the basketball club BKP Banská Bystrica. Slovak Extraliga is the name of the highest-level Ice hockey league in Slovakia.

Government

The regional branch of the National Bank of Slovakia in Banská Bystrica

The city is governed by a mayor (Slovak: primátor) and a city council (Slovak: mestské zastupiteľstvo). A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. The mayor is the head of the city and its chief executive. The term of office is for four years. The current mayor, Ivan Saktor, was nominated in 2006 by a coalition of the political parties Smer-SD, SNS, and SZ. The Direction – Social Democracy (Smer – sociálna demokracia party — before January 1 2005 called Direction (the Third Way ( Smer (tretia cesta The Slovak National Party ( Slovak: Slovenská národná strana, SNS is a neo-fascist political party in Slovakia The Green Party (Slovak Strana zelených; until January 2006 called Strana zelených na Slovensku, i The council is the city's legislative body. Among 21 councilors, the absolute majority (14) currently support the mayor's coalition of Smer-SD and SNS. The Direction – Social Democracy (Smer – sociálna demokracia party — before January 1 2005 called Direction (the Third Way ( Smer (tretia cesta The Slovak National Party ( Slovak: Slovenská národná strana, SNS is a neo-fascist political party in Slovakia ^[37] The last municipal election was held in 2006 and councilors are elected to four-year terms concurrent with the mayor's. Banská Bystrica is divided into four electoral districts, consisting of the following neighborhoods:^[38]

1. Staré mesto, Uhlisko, Prednádražie, Šalková, Senica, Majer (7 councilors)
2. Kráľová, Iliaš, Kremnička, Rakytovce (4 councilors)
3. Radvaň, Fončorda, Podlavice, Skubín (11 councilors)
4. Sásová, Rudlová, Uľanka, Jakub, Kostiviarska (10 councilors)

Banská Bystrica is the capital of one of eight considerably autonomous Regions of Slovakia. Since 1949 (except 1990-1996, Slovakia has been divided into a number of Kraje ' (singular kraj; usually translated as "Regions" with capital ^[39] It used to be the capital of an even larger region, encompassing whole central Slovakia since 1960 until 1990, but this territory was divided in 1996 into the Banská Bystrica, Žilina and partly Trenčín regions. The Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak Banskobystrický Kraj) is one of the Slovak regions in the country of Slovakia in Europe The Žilina Region (Slovak Žilinský Kraj) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts ( Okresy. The Trenčín Region ( Slovak: Trenčiansky Kraj) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. Banská Bystrica is also the capital of a smaller district. An okres (in English district) is an administrative unit in Slovakia. The Banská Bystrica District (Slovak: okres Banská Bystrica) is nested within the Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak: Banskobystrický kraj). Banská Bystrica District (okres Banská Bystrica is a district in the

In addition, several national public institutions have their headquarters in the city. The most prominent ones are the Tax Directorate of the Slovak Republic and the public postal service (Slovenská pošta). Slovenská pošta, a s (literally Slovak Post is a state-owned company responsible for providing Postal service in Slovakia. ^[2] The city also hosts a regional branch of National Bank of Slovakia. National Bank of Slovakia (Národná banka Slovenska NBS is the Central bank of Slovakia, which is a member of the European Union and the European

Education

Banská Bystrica is the home of Matej Bel University (Slovak: Univerzita Mateja Bela) with 16,460 students, including 416 doctoral students. Matej Bel University (Univerzita Mateja Bela is a university in the central Slovak town Banská Bystrica. The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" A doctorate is an Academic degree that indicates the highest level of academic achievement ^[40] Academy of Arts (Slovak: Akadémia umení) with 490 students is specialized in performing and fine arts. ^[41] A satellite campus of the Slovak Medical University is also located in the city. The Slovak Medical University in Bratislava (Slovenská zdravotnícka univerzita v Bratislave is a state "college of university type" seated in Bratislava,

There are 15 public primary schools, two private primary schools, and two religious primary schools. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory ^[42] Overall, they enroll 7,029 pupils. ^[42] The city's system of secondary education (some middle schools and all high schools) consists of five gymnasia with 3,280 students,^[43] seven specialized high schools with 2,873 students,^[44] and six vocational schools with 1,884 students. Australia See also Education A gymnasium (pronounced with ɡ- in several languages is a type of school providing Secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution ATTENTION *** This article is not "Vocational education in the United States" ^[45][46]

The largest library is the State Scientific Library with 2 million volumes. ^[47] The geological institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences has a branch in Banská Bystrica and the small Banská Bystrica Regional Astronomical Observatory is located on Urpín Mountain. The Slovak Academy of Sciences SAV (in Slovak Slovenská akadémia vied) is the main scientific and research institution in Slovakia fostering basic and strategic

Transportation

Bus transport in Banská Bystrica provided by the SAD Zvolen company

Banská Bystrica has bus and train connections to the rest of the country, as well as to many other European cities. The Motorroad R1 connects the city to Zvolen Slovakia's capital Bratislava. R1 (formerly D65 is a Motorroad (rýchlostná cesta in Slovakia. Some parts of this fast motorroad are still under construction and the remaining work is planned to be completed by 2010. The Autostrasse literally means motorroad in English and exists in some European countries noticeably Austria, and Switzerland, and some others ^[48] Other roads of state importance connect the city to Brezno (No. Brezno ( Bries(en Breznóbánya is a town in central Slovakia, with a Population of 22279 ( 2005) 66), to Ružomberok (No. Ružomberok ( Rosenberg Rózsahegy Rużomberk is a town in northern Slovakia, in the historical Liptov region 59) and to Turčianske Teplice (No. Turčianske Teplice (Bad Stuben Stubnyafürdő is a Town in central Slovakia in the Žilina Region. 14).

The international Sliač Airport offers scheduled flights to Prague and charter flights to other destinations. Sliač Airport ( IATA: SLD, ICAO: LZSL) historically Letisko Tri Duby (literally "The Three Oaks Airport" - is an Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic.

Public transport in the city is managed by two different companies. ^[49] Dopravný podnik mesta Banská Bystrica is a public service run by the municipality. It operates trolleybuses and minibuses. "Microbus" redirects here For the Volkswagen Microbus see Volkswagen Type 2. The private company SAD Zvolen has a fleet of buses. In addition to regular lines, it also offers express and night lines. 30% of people use their private cars for journeys to work and the average commute time is 35 minutes. ^[2]

Sister cities

Banská Bystrica has several sister cities and partner towns around the world:^[50]

See also

• List of famous people from Banská Bystrica

References

External links

• Official municipal website of Banská Bystrica
• Basic information for tourists
• Comprehensive information about the city
• Satellite view of Banská Bystrica
• Another site for tourists