Levice
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Levice | |
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| Region (kraj) | Nitra region |
| District (okres) | Levice District |
| Location | |
| Altitude | 163 m |
| Population | 36,657 (as of 2005) |
| Area | 61.00 km² |
| Time Zone • Summer DST |
CET: UTC+1 CEST: UTC+2 |
| Telephone prefix | +421-36 |
| Postal code | 93401 |
| Car registration plate | LV |
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Levice /lɛvit͡sɛ/ (Hungarian: Léva, German: Lewenz) is a town in western Slovakia. The town lies on the left bank of the lower Hron river (Old-Slavic name of the town was Leva, that means "the Left One").
The city is located in the NE corner of the Danubian Lowland (Podunajská nížina), 110 km E of Bratislava, 40 km SE of Nitra, 42 mi NE of Nové Zámky, 32 km SW of Banská Štiavnica, 55 km SW of Zvolen, 25 km from the border with Hungary.
Historic region (comitatus): Tekov
District: Levice - the largest district in Slovakia
Town's heraldic animal: lion (in Slovak „Lev“)
Town's colours: green and yellow
Mayor: Štefan Mišák (since 2002)
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[edit] Demographics
[edit] Ethnicity (2001 census)
[edit] Religious makeup
Roman-Catholic (majority), Reformed Protestant (Calvinist), Moravian Brethren (the biggest congregation in Slovakia), Lutheran, Baptist, Old Catholic Church, Adventist of the 7th Day, Modrý kríž (Blue Cross), several Charismatic and Pentecostal communities, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslim community (non-practising), Jewish community (non-practising), atheists
[edit] Economy
[edit] Production
textiles, cosmetics, furniture, products of locally obtained Golden Onyx, machinery and construction components, cereals, meat, eggs, dairy products, soda drinks, malt, wine (Levická frankovka – is a local red-wine trademark), one of Slovakia's two nuclear power-plants is in Mochovce (Mohi in Hungarian), 12 km north west of Levice.
[edit] Education
8 elementary schools (7 secular including 1 Hungarian, 1 Roman-Catholic school), ordinary High School, Hungarian Calvinist High School (Lyceum), Business Academy, Pedagogical and Social Academy, Secondary Technical School, Secondary Agricultural School and various apprentice schools
Levice is the birthplace of geographer Kálmán Kittenberger (1881-1958).
[edit] History
Levice is first mentioned as Leua, one of villages submissed to the St. Martin's Church in Bratka (Baratka in Hungarian) in 1165. Firstly attacked by Turks in 1544 - the town set aflame while the castle resisted. Held by Turks shortly from 1663 to the summer of 1685, when the Austrian Imperial Army led by general de Souches gained an important victory at the Battle of Levice, beneath the town's castle. In 1709 during the last anti-Habsburg revolution the fort was blown out by kuruces.
[edit] Main sights
- Castle, built in Gothic style as a road-guarding fort sometime to the end of 13th century.
- Dobo Chateau, built by István Dobó, a hero of the siege of Eger, in 1560s.
[edit] Places of worship
- St Joseph's Church, Roman-Catholic, accompanied by a baroque Franciscan convent, close to the entrance to the chateau, break of 17th and 18th centuries .
- St Michael's Church - Roman-Catholic, St Michael's street (Sv. Michala), 2nd half of 18th century
- Church of the Holy Spirit - Roman-Catholic, at the Rybniky quarter, break of 20th and 21st centuries
- Chapel of St Urban - Roman-Catholic, F. Hecku street, 1770s
- Evanjelický a. v. kostol - Lutheran, Cs. armady street, 1840s to 1930s
- Zborový dom (Congregational House) - Lutheran, next to the latter
- Kostol Reformovanej cirkvi' - Calvinist, Sv. Michala street, end of 18th century
- Zborový dom (Congregational House)' - Moravian Brethren, S. Chalupku street, 1983-85
- Synagogue' - Jewish, K. Kittenberger street, half of 19th century
[edit] Other sights
- Schoeller's Mill - built to the end of 19th century, production cancelled in 1998, rebuilt to a complex of luxury shops, offices, dwellings and entertainment facilities.
- Main square - a good collection of Art-Nouveau and eclectic buildings.
- Town hall - erected in 1902, second floor built-up while lifting the roof by a screw mechanism in 1927.
- Teachers Academy - secondary school, E point of the Kalvaria hill, N of the main square, built in 1911 as a mix of the late Art-Nouveau and Italian trecento-influenced historism.
[edit] Functionalist architectures
- District Court Building - corner of Mlynska and Zahradna streets, projected by Milan Michal Harminc
- Fried's House - corner of L. Stura and Sv. Michala streets
- Strasser's House - Sturova street, next to the Fried's House
- Fertsek Brothers House - corner of Soltesova square and Ceskoslovenskej armady street
- Munk's House - corner of Mlynska and Zahradna streets
- Reitmann's House - Mlynska street, a passage to I. Krasku street
- Eisler's House - corner of Mlynska and L. Stura streets
- Police District Headquarters Building - former Seat of District Authority, crossing of Kalvinske square and Sv. Michala street
- Health Ensurance Company Building - M. R. Stefanik street, later Infant Hospital
[edit] Nearby topics
- Horša Valley / Horšianska Dolina - lovely nature preserve with unique floral and animal endemits, folk architecture in Horša, 46 km NE
- Kalinčiakovo (in Hungarian Hontvarsány) - well preserved tiny Romanesque church from the half of 12th century, thermal swimming-pool of Margita-Ilona, 5 km SE
- Hronský Beňadik (in Hungarian Garamszentbenedek) - medieval fort-monastery with majestic Gothic entrance, tombs and memorabilia of famous Hungarian noblemen, lovely natural scenery, 15 km N
- Želiezovce (in Hungarian Zselíz)– Neoclassical residence of Count Eszterhazy, where the Austrian composer Franz Schubert used to stay in the Owl Chateau (Soví zámoček) to teach young ladies music, 20 km S
- Santovka (in Hungarian Szántó)– mineral water springs and swimming-pool, 10 mi SE
- Brhlovce (in Hungarian Borfõ)– troglodyte-like dwellings cut into volcanic sub-layer that are suggested for the UNESCO World Heritage, 10 km E
- Čajkov (in Hungarian Csejkõ)– local folk-costume is one of the Slovakia's most colourful, annual wine-harvest festival, arboretum, 8 N
- Pukanec (in Hungarian Bakabánya, in G. Bugganz)– tiny mining town once enjoying the status of Free Royal Town, still surviving hand-made pottery production, 15 km NE
- Sitno (in Hungarian Szitnya)– mythical and legendary volcanic mount in the Štiavnica Mountains, Celtic funeral place, medieval castle ruins, botanic nature reserve i. e. because of rare species of roses, 30 NE
