BANSKÁ BYSTRICA
County: Banská Bystrica
District: Banská Bystrica
Region: Horehronie
Coordinates: 48° 43' 57" N
19° 08' 57" E
Altitude: 362 m
Area: 103,368 km2
Population: 79 003
Density of Population: 765/km2
First Written Reference: y. 1255
Address: Municipal Office of Banská Bystrica, ul. ČSA 26, 975 39 Banská Bystrica 1
Website: www.banskabystrica.sk
Mayor: Mgr. Peter Gogola
The town of Banská Bystrica is situated in a valley called Zvolenská kotlina and in the valley of the Hron river among mountain ranges called Kremnické vrchy, Starohorské vrchy and Poľana. The history of this town dates back to the 13th century. The original Slovak settlement called Bystrica, lying in the territory of the current town, was naturally transformed by a couple of Saxon colonist families into a trade and craft centre of the mining industry due to which the settlement gained on importance so much that the King Belo IV. promoted it to a town in 1255.
Since the delegation of municipal rights Banská Bystrica went through several development phases and entered permanently not only the history of Slovakia. In 2005 the town commemorated the 510th anniversary of establishment of the Thurzo-Fugger company. This copper enterprise with its huge complex of manufacturing plants, well-considered factory management, large network of store houses and double-entry accounting system ranked among the largest and most modern enterprises of its kind in the European mining and smelting industry of the early capitalism era.
The town of Banská Bystrica was, as one of the first Slovak towns, declared an urban monumental preserve. The most valuable monuments include the town castle area (Barbakan), the town square with its churches of Virgin Mary and Holy Rood, townhall, Matej´s House and the remains of the town fortification. The heart of the town is located in a large rectengual square called Námestie SNP (Square of Slovak National Rising) with St. Mary´s pole and sloping clock tower. The square is surrounded by brownstone houses, including the most significant ones, the Thurzo´s House and Benický´s House. The pedestrian precinct starting at the square also continues on Dolná street where there is St. Elisabeth´s Church and Bethlen´s House in which the Prince Bethlen was proclaimed the Hungarian king. Some historical burgess houses can be also seen on Lazovná street and Horná Strieborná street. The Tihani´s Parish in the town district of Radvaň shows expositions of general science department of the Central Slovak Museum. Historic museums are in the Thurzo´s House on the Square of Slovak National Rising. Valuable imagery is kept in three buidlings of the National Gallery: Pretórium, Bethlen´s House and Dominik Skutecký´s House.
The modern Slovak history of this town dates back to August 29, 1944, when the Slovak National Uprising – an armed protest against the occupation of Facists – was declared. After liberation of the town in the World War II, March 26, 1945, Banská Bystrica became one of the economic and commercial centres in Slovakia. The historical town centre was declared an urban monumental preserve in 1955.
Nowadays, Banská Bystrica is a commercial, economic and cultural centre of Central Slovakia.
Outside the town, a wooden church in the village of Hronsek, a parish in the village of Dolná Mičiná as well as a castle in the village of Slovenská Ľupča are all worth the attention. Sacral monuments can be also seen in the villages of Čerín and Poniky. The mining past might be reminded by the mountain village of Špania dolina, a jewel of the traditional architecture.
