Považská Bystrica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Považská Bystrica | |
|---|---|
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| Region (kraj) | Trenčín Region |
| District (okres) | Považská Bystrica |
| Location | |
| Altitude | 288 m |
| Population | 42 320 (as of 2004) |
| Area | 90.56 km² |
| Time Zone • Summer DST |
CET: UTC+1 CEST: UTC+2 |
| Telephone prefix | +421-42 |
| Postal code | 01701 |
| Car registration plate | PB |
| Location map N/A | |
Považská Bystrica (German: Waagbistritz; Hungarian: Vágbeszterce) is a town in northwestern Slovakia. It is located on the Váh River near the city of Žilina.
[edit] Profile
Považská Bystrica is a town without any historical center: most old buildings were destroyed and replaced during the period 1950-1980. Therefore most people would not describe it as an interesting or beautiful city. Actually, for many Slovaks, Považská Bystrica is known for traffic jams, as it lies on the major route Bratislava - Žilina. Controversy about new highway last for more than ten years. Part of the citizens do not agree with preferred version of the highway. Optimistic predictions say that the highway would be built in 2009.
On the other hand, Považská Bystrica lies in a beautiful natural environment. It is located on the frontier between two mountain ranges - Strážovské vrchy and Javorníky. Dominating the city skyline is Veľký Manín mountain (890 m), which is visible from most parts of the city. Between Veľký and Malý Manín mountains (Big and Small Manin), there is a beautiful rocky formation called Manínska tiesňava, known by trekkers as well as rock climbers. Another beautiful rock formation - Súľovské skaly - is just a few kilometers away. Nearby Javorníky mountains, reaching just above 1000 m, offer pleasant experiences to trekkers, mountain-bikers and cross-country skiers. One of the most famous Slovak spas, Rajecké Teplice, lies about 20 km from the city.
[edit] History
The first written reference to the town comes from 1316, in connection with Matthew Csák. The next known reference about PovažskáBystrica is dated 13 July 1330. In 1432, the town was burned by Hussite troops. The history of the town is very closely connected with the nearby Bystrica (or Považský) castle, built in the 13th century. The most famous owners of the Bystrica castle and the land were knights Ján and Rafael Podmanickí, known for their robberies. The family of Podmanicki became rulers of the city in 1458, when King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary donated the castle, the town and 16 surrounding villages to Ladislav Podmanicki. During their reign, which lasted almost 100 years, the town was flourishing.
The next one hundred years were hard for the city and the region, because of upheavals of several Hungarian noblemen. The city was plundered by troops of Štefan Bočkay (1604), Imrich Tokoly (1679), Bereczényi and Očkay (1707). Despite the hard times, the town obtained more and more privileges from Hungarian kings during the period, and it had a significantly higher status than the surrounding countryside. This ended in 1886, when a new Hungarian legislation cancelled all the privileges.
In 1918, the town became part of the Czechoslovak republic. In 1929, an ammunition plant Roth transferred its production from Bratislava to Považská Bystrica, which significantly improved the employment situation.
Since World War II, and especially in the 1970s and 1980s, the city grew significantly. New residential areas were built around the tiny city center. The city center itself was re-built completely, therefore you can hardly find any historical buildings there now. The main employer since the second world war was the engineering plant Považské strojárne. The plant mainly manufactured scooters and industrial bearings. Since the end of socialism, the company has not prospered. This has caused increased unemployment.
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Považská Bystrica |
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