Banská Bystrica

Banská Bystrica (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈbanskaː ˈbistritsa] ^ⓘ, also known by other alternative names) is a 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. With approximately 76,000 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia. The present-day town was founded by German settlers who were invited by the Hungarian Árpád kings during the Middle Ages (as part of the Ostsiedlung), but it was built upon a former Slavic/Slovakian/Avar settlement. It became a part of Zólyom County after Hungarian conquest. In 1255, during the reign of Béla IV of Hungary, it obtained the municipal privileges of a free royal town of the Kingdom of Hungary and was resettled by Germans from Thüringen. 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 (more specifically Banská Bystrica Region) and the okres (Banská Bystrica District). It is also the home of Matej Bel University. As a historical town with easy access to the surrounding mountains, Banská Bystrica is a popular winter and summer tourist destination.