The most beautiful towns to visit in Slovakia, the historical northern Hungary

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The present-day town was founded by Hungarians, who arrived in the Carpathian Basin in 895. It took its name from the first ispán of the county established by King Stephen I of Hungary in 1000. Its castle repeatedly defended the country from the German armies arriving with the purpose of conquest. King Sigismund of Hungary fortified it against the Czech Hussite plunderers, whose attack it could finally repel. King Matthias of Hungary founded a Renaissance university in the town called Academia Istropolitana in 1467. But Pozsony gained its real significance after the Turks occupied the country's capital, Buda, in 1541. The new capital of Hungary became Pozsony. In the following centuries, 10 ruling kings and 1 queen of the Habsburg House were crowned in St. Martin’s Cathedral, and the country assemblies were also mostly held in the town. Many churches, aristocratic palaces and public buildings were built in the town worthy of its rank. The anti-Habsburg Hungarian insurgents occupied it more than once. The Hungarian baron and ispán of Pozsony County Pálffy Pál expanded the palace and added the four ornamental towers and Empress Maria Theresia turned it into Baroque style. The country assembly in 1836 made Hungarian the official language of Hungary instead of the Latin. The first horse-drawn railway of Hungary was also opened between Pozsony and Nagyszombat. In 1919 the Czechoslovak army invaded the predominantly Hungarian and German town, fired at the peacefully protesting crowd and tore down the Hungarian statues. The violent Slovakization of the town began afterwards. After 1945 the remaining Hungarian and German inhabitants of the town were displaced, but the old buildings and monuments of the town will always preserve their memory.

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Kassa, Košice

241k

King Béla IV of Hungary invited German settlers after the small Hungarian settlement was destroyed in the Mongol Invasion. In the Battle of Rozgony in 1312 the burghers of Kassa helped King Charles I of Hungary to victory over the united army of the Aba family and Csák Máté, because previously the king protected the town from the tyranny of the oligarchs. The construction of the Gothic cathedral dedicated to St. Elisabeth of Hungary started in 1374. In 1412 the Pentapolitana, the alliance of the five most important free royal towns of northern Hungary, was created with the leadership of Kassa. During the reign of King Matthias of Hungary, Kassa was one of the largest European towns with its population of 10 thousand. During the 17th century Kassa was the center of the Hungarian uprisings against the Habsburg emperor and also the starting point of the campaigns of the Hungarian princes of Transylvania against Vienna within the Kingdom of Hungary. It was also the center of the Hungarian War of Independence between 1703 and 1711 led by Prince Rákóczi Ferenc II. The remains of the prince and his companions in exile, brought home from Rodosto (Turkey) in 1906, were placed in the crypt of the St. Elisabeth Cathedral. In 1918 the Czechoslovak army invaded the predominantly Hungarian town, tore down the memorial of the Hungarian War of Independence and fired at the peacefully protesting crowd. Afterwards Kassa was attached to the newly created Czechoslovakia. In 1945 the Czechoslovak president Benes announced his decrees on the persecution and the deprivation of properties of the Hungarian and German people from the balcony of the seat of the former Abaúj-Torna County, as a result of which there are hardly any Hungarians left in the town.

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Komárom, Komárno

36k

The ancient Hungarian town is divided not only by the Danube but also by a border, because its northern part, which includes its historic center, was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia in 1920. The foundation of the town dates back to the foundation of Hungary. Its fortress played a key role in protecting the country against the Turkish invaders, who could never capture it. One of the most modern and impregnable fortification systems of Europe was created here, which strongly resisted the Austrian siege during the Hungarian War of Independence between 1848 and 1849, even after its suppression by the Russian intervention forces. The amnesty obtained by giving up the fortress ensured safety for thousands of Hungarian patriots, including the playwright Madách Imre, who could later write The tragedy of man. The town was once the seat of Komárom-Esztergom County, and is widely known from the novel The Man with the Golden Touch written by the Hungarian writer Jókai Mór, which is a must read for students in Hungary. It still has a Hungarian majority and is the seat of the Hungarian University of Slovakia named after Selye János, the first scientist to demonstrate the existence of biological stress.

The town located only 60 kilometers from Pozsony, to which it was once connected by the first horse-drawn railway of Hungary, is also called "little Rome" after its numerous churches and also because as the seat of the Archbishop of Esztergom it was the religious and cultural center of Hungary for nearly 300 years due to the Turkish conquest. Archbishop Pázmány Péter established a university here in 1635, which is still one of the most prestigious universities of Hungary seated now in Budapest. The town was an important trade hub and it got its name from its famous fairs held on Saturdays. It developed to one of the largest towns of Europe by the 13th century. It was one of the favorite places of King Louis the Great of Hungary to stay, he started the construction of the St. Nicholas Cathedral, and he also died here in 1382. The area is famous for its great wines and several cultural events await the visitors.

The town that took its name from the Nyitra River was an important episcopal seat and also the seat of the former Nyitra County and played an important role in the early history of Hungary. The pagan rival of Stephen I, the first Christian king of Hungary, named Vazul was held captive and blinded in its castle. The Bavarian Gisela, the wife of Stephen I, established the predecessor of the present-day cathedral and dedicated it to St. Emmeram, the patron saint of Regensburg. The monastery on Mount Zobor was also founded at that time under the patronage of the Bavarian saint Hippolyte. Nyitra was the seat of the Duchy that was traditionally held by the ruling king's younger brother. Since the dukes often aspired to the throne, this institution was abolished by King Kálmán the Book-Lover, who also established the Bishopric of Nyitra in 1113 and constructed the first stone castle here. The monument erected in 1896 for the Millennium of Hungary was exploded by the Czechoslovak invaders in 1921, but its magnificent pedestal still stands on Mount Zobor next to the radio transmitter. The former Hungarian majority of the town was swept away by the persecutions during the 20th century, but they left behind an indelible mark in the cultural heritage of the town.

Eperjes was once called Athens on the Tarca River because of its high quality education, which began in 1665, when the Lutheran college was founded from the contributions of the Lutherans of Hungary. The school focused on the education of natural sciences and of the mother tongue, the Hungarian. In the 19th century there were a grammar school and a college with faculties of low, theology and teacher training in the town. Several famous Hungarians learned there, including Kossuth Lajos and Márai Sándor. All this was ended by the Czechoslovak invaders in 1919, who closed the schools, which were then moved to present-day Hungary. The town was founded by King Béla II the Blind of Hungary, who named it after the strawberry growing in the area. It became the seat of Sáros County in 1647. Eperjes was a strong bastion of the anti-Habsburg uprising of Thököly Imre, and in retaliation the tribunal of General Caraffa tortured 300 people and brutally executed 24 wealthy burghers to put his hands on their fortune. The Hungarian and German population was thinned by the plague in the 18th century and Slavs started to migrate to the town, but it got Slovakized during the persecutions of the 20th century.

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Késmárk, Kežmarok

16k

The town on the Poprád River was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion. Its name comes from the German Käsemarkt meaning cheese market, which the town became entitled to hold in 1269. As one of the most important merchant towns of Szepes, in the 16th century it had a fierce rivalry with Lőcse for the staple right, the right to stop goods. The rivalry ended with the victory of Lőcse in 1544, when King Ferdinand I of Hungary sentenced Késmárk to "eternal silence". Its castle was acquired by the Thököly family in 1583, who made it their seat of power. The castle was confiscated from Thököly István in 1671 for participating in the Wesselényi-conspiracy against the Habsburg emperor Leopold I. The treasures were transported from the castle to Vienna on 16 carriages. Thököly Imre, leader of the anti-Habsburg insurgents and later Prince of Upper Hungary, who was also born here, took it back from the Emperor a couple of times. His earthly remains brought home in 1906 from Nicomedia (now Izmit, Turkey) were laid to rest in the mausoleum of the new Lutheran church of the town. The Saxons of Szepes proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately.

The town was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion, and soon it became their most important town, their center. The town was granted staple right in 1321 on the trade route between Hungary and Poland, for which it had a fierce rivalry with Késmárk in the 16th century. The rivalry ended with the victory of Lőcse in 1544, when King Ferdinand I of Hungary sentenced Késmárk to "eternal silence". Lőcse became the seat of Szepes County in the 18th century. The pilgrimage site on Mount Mary has been one of the most significant in Hungary since the 13th century, and Pope John Paul II also visited the Basilica of the Virgin Mary in 1995. The Saxons of Szepes supported the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849, and they also proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately. Its most famous attractions are the Gothic town hall known from the series The Black City made from Jókai Mór's novel and the church of St. James with the Gothic winged altar of Master Lőcsei Pál.

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Selmecbánya, Banská Štiavnica

10k

The town was one of the most important mining towns of Hungary, its silver and gold mines were among the most significant. Stephen I of Hungary already minted coin from the silver mined here. The settlement was destroyed during the Mongol Invasion and was repopulated by German miners. Hungary gave one quarter of the global silver production at that time. King Charles I of Hungary started minting silver coins called garas, which kept a constant value, in 1329. The town's defenses were built during the 1500s because of the Turkish threat, but the town was never occupied by them. The world's first Mining Academy was established here in 1770, which became the model for the Polytechnique in Paris. Selmecbánya was the third largest town of Hungary at that time. With the decline of mining, it became an important school town, and the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy expanded with a faculty of forest engineering. All this ended with the Czechoslovak occupation in 1919, when the Academy had to move to the territory of present-day Hungary. Several mining tunnels and a mining museum provide an insight into the town’s mining past.

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Besztercebánya, Banská Bystrica

78k

The town was one of the most important mining towns of Hungary, which was famous primarily for its copper mining. It was founded by Saxons settled down by King Béla IV after the Mongol Invasion. After the death of King Matthias royal power declined in Hungary, and the Thurzó and Fugger families, who acquired mining and metallurgy rights, founded the Ungarischer Handel Company, which became the world's leading copper producer by the 16th century. They used the most sophisticated mining technologies in Europe. Copper was essential for the production of modern firearms, and Besztercebánya's copper production covered 40% of Europe's copper demand. In 1620, the Hungarian parliament elected Prince Betlehen Gábor of Transylvania as king in the town, who led a campaign against the Habsburg ruler in the Thirty Years' War. The copper mine was depleted by the 18th century and the role of the town changed. It became the seat of Zólyom County, and in 1776 Empress Maria Theresa made it an episcopal seat. The Hungarians of the town were driven away by the Czechoslovaks who gained power during the 20th century.

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Körmöcbánya, Kremnica

The town was one of the most important mining towns of Hungary, which was famous for its gold mines and its coin mint. It was founded by German settlers in the 12th century. Its coin mint was established by King Charles I of Hungary, who started minting gold florins in the town in 1335, which became popular all over Europe. At that time Hungary gave 80 percent of Europe's gold production. At its heyday 14,000 gold coins were minted here annually. The last gold ducats (as the coins were later called) used as money were minted in 1881. In October 1918, the minting machines had to be evacuated to Budapest from the occupying Czechs. The traditions of minting are presented to the visitors by the Coin and Medal Museum and the coin mint.

The town, famous for its Gothic architecture and its well preserved medieval town walls, was founded by German settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary after the Mongol Invasion. It was granted staple right and quickly got rich from its trade with Poland. In 1412 it became the member of the Pentapolitana, the alliance of the five most important free royal towns of northern Hungary led by Kassa. In 1453 Captain in Chief Hunyadi János crushed the army of Talafus, a leader of Czech Hussite marauders plundering northern Hungary, outside the walls of the town. Slovaks and Jews migrated to the town in the 18th century, and the trade started to decline with the partition of Poland. The Museum of Sáros was opened in the Gothic town hall in 1907. One of its most important attractions is the 14th century Gothic church dedicated to the patron of the town, St. Egidius. The Hungarian and German population was displaced by the Czechoslovaks during the 20th century.

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Rozsnyó, Rožňava

19k

The town of Rozsnyó surrounded by the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains was originally a mining settlement founded by German settlers in the 13th century. Gold, silver and later mainly iron was mined. During the Hungarian War of Independence between 1703 and 1711, Prince Rákóczi Ferenc II and his court decided to convene the country assembly to Ónod in order to dethrone the House of Habsburg while they stayed in Rozsnyó. In 1776 Empress Maria Theresia made Rozsnyó an episcopal seat, which affected it greatly. Many famous people attended its schools. The town owes much to its rich patrons Count Andrássy Dénes and especially his wife Countess Franciska, who has a statue on the main square. The Museum of Mining was opened in 1912 with their support. The museum had to be closed after the Czechoslovak occupation in 1919, and it could be reopened only in 1938, when the predominantly Hungarian town returned to Hungary. The museum was closed again after the Soviet invasion and the recreation of Czechoslovakia. Fortunately it is now open and receives visitors.

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Trencsén, Trenčín

56k

The magnificent castle on the cliff above the Vág River protected Hungary from the attacks of the Czechs. At its peak, in the turbulent period after the extinction of the Hungarian Árpád House, it was the seat of the infamous Hungarian oligarch, Csák Máté. He plundered secular and church property at will, and did not acknowledge any power over himself. The Church excommunicated him twice in vain and the king waged war on him multiple times, but his power could only be broken by his death due to natural causes in 1321. Afterwards his castles surrendered to King Charles I of Hungary one after another voluntarily. Only Trencsén resisted, until after a hard siege, Csák Máté's cousin gave up the castle to the king in exchange for other estates.

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Zólyom, Zvolen

43k

Pusztavár Castle, which was built on a hill southwest of the town in the 11th century, was the seat of Zólyom County. It originally covered a huge area stretching to the Polish border. It was the private hunting ground of the Hungarian kings of the House of Árpád, and its scarce population served as foresters and rangers. In 1338, as the population was growing, King Charles I of Hungary divided Zólyom County into four counties, which were Zólyom, Liptó, Turóc and Árva. His son, King Louis I, often referred to as Louis the Great or the Knight King, built a hunting castle in Zólyom, because he could reach both his kingdoms, Hungary and Poland, easily from here. Pusztavár Castle was destroyed under unknown circumstances in the second half of the 15th century, and the hunting castle had no real defense value and did not play a serious military role. Balassa Bálint, a Hungarian Renaissance poet, was born here, who fought heroically against the Turks. The statue of Kossuth Lajos, the political leader of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence, was removed after the Czechoslovak occupation in 1919. It was found hidden in a farm building in 1943, and later re-erected in Borsi. The town lost its Hungarian population during the persecutions of the 20th century.

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Rimaszombat, Rimavská Sobota

24k

The town is located at the foot of the Rátkó Mountains on the banks of the Rima River. It got its name from the river and from its fairs held on Saturdays. The predominantly Hungarian town was the seat of Gömör-Kishont County until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. Several famous Hungarians were associated with the town, which proudly preserves the memory of Petőfi Sándor, the great poet of the Hungarian Revolution in 1848, who visited Rimaszombat in 1845. The sculptor Ferenczy István rests in its Calvinist church, and several famous people attended its grammar school, for example the writer Mikszáth Kálmán and the sculptor Izsó Miklós. The statue of Petőfi Sándor, based on the plaster model created by Izsó Miklós, was erected in the town in 2004.

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Fülek, Fiľakovo

11k

The castle was allegedly built by a rogue knight, who lured the unfortunate people seeking refuge during the Mongol Invasion to the castle with a bell, than looted and pushed them off the castle cliff. But he was not the only unworthy person, who held the castle in his hands. For example in 1483 King Matthias of Hungary had to smoke the traitor Perényi István out of it by a siege. It was an important part of the defense system of Hungary during the Turkish wars, and it fell in 1554 in a rather laughable way. A Saracen slave serving in the castle let the Turks in through the garbage chute while the guards were fast asleep after the previous day's merry-making. But the Turks left the castle in barely 40 years under not less humorous circumstances. It finally met its fate in 1682, when the joint armies of Thököly Imre, leader of the anti-Habsburg Hungarian uprising, and the Turks besieged it. When all hope was lost, its overly persistent captain Koháry István gave in to his soldier's pressure to surrender only when they threatened to push him off the castle wall. The Turks, being angry about their huge losses suffered during the siege, destroyed the castle against the request of Thököly. The town still has a Hungarian majority despite the fact that many Slovaks were moved in after the town was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia in 1920.

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Poprád, Poprad

52k

The present-day town on the Poprád River was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion, who were mainly engaged in copper mining. King Sigismund of Hungary, in order to finance his war for recapturing the Dalmatian towns from Venice, pawned 13 towns of Szepes to Poland, including Poprád, in 1412. Althought it was originally planned for only a short time, it finally lasted until 1772. After the railway reached the town, it became industrialized. The Carpathian Association of Hungary founded the Carpathian Museum in 1883, which was renamed to Tatra Museum by the Czechoslovaks in 1945. The lines of the Local Electric Railways of Tatra were completed by the year 1912, as well as the hiking paths, and the tourism was booming. The Saxons of Szepes proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately.

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Szepesszombat, Spišská Sobota

The present-day town on the Poprád River was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion, which is so much reflected in its characteristic architecture, especially in the burgher's houses surrounding the main square and in its bell tower. It got its German name, Georgenberg, from the St. George church, which had already been built earlier. King Sigismund of Hungary, in order to finance his war for recapturing the Dalmatian towns from Venice, pawned 13 towns of Szepes to Poland, including Szepesszombat, in 1412. Although it was originally planned for only a short time, finally lasted until 1772. The Saxons of Szepes supported the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849, and they also proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately. The town is now part of Poprad.

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Igló, Spišská Nová Ves

37k

The beautiful karst area next to the town on the Hernád River was named the Paradise of Upper Hungary by Hajts Béla, a member of the Carpathian Association. Later the Slovaks renamed it to Slovak Paradise (Slovensky Raj), and Igló is considered to be its capital. The town was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion. It was famous for its copper mining and the bell foundry of Gál Konrád, which also has a memorial. From 1778 to 1876 it was the center of the province of the Saxon towns of Szepes. The Saxons of Szepes supported the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849, the memorial of which was destroyed by the Czechoslovak invaders in 1919. The Saxons of Szepes declared their will to remain part of Hungary during the invasion. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately.

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Léva, Levice

33k

The little town is situated in the valley of the Garam River near the Selmec Mountains. It was the seat of Bars County for some time, later its castle played an important role in the defense of Hungary against the Turks. Dobó István, the victorious captain of Eger Castle, was the captain of Léva Castle for a while. He reinforced its defenses and built a palace inside it, which now hosts the exhibitions of the Museum of Bars. The Turks besieged the castle a couple of times and they occupied it once, but they could not hold it even for a year. Its famous Piarist grammar school met its fate in 1920 when the nearly entirely Hungarian town was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. After the Second World War the Czechoslovak rulers deported most of the Hungarian population and moved in Slovaks.

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Érsekújvár, Nové Zámky

38k

The town was created from scratch in the 1570s inside of one of the most modern fortresses of Europe that was built to protect Hungary from the Turks. In 1663 the fortress could not resist the Turks, who heavily outnumbered the defenders, but it proved to be a more effective tool in the hands of the Hungarian insurgents fighting against the tyranny of the Habsburg emperors. It happened due to this fact as well that the emperor ordered the complete demolition of the fortress in the first half of the 18th century, but the town's street system preserved its shape quite well. The greatest tragedy struck the town on March 14, 1945, when the British-American bombers allied with the Soviet communists destroyed two-thirds of the town together with most of the historic buildings and killed 4,000 innocent people as well. The predominantly Hungarian population of the town was humiliated twice by the invading Czechoslovak army. In 1919 they tore down the statue of Kossuth Lajos, the political leader of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence in 1848, and in 1945 they destroyed the country flag erected on the same spot after the town returned to Hungary in 1938. Due to the persecutions during the 20th century Hungarians are now in a minority in the town.

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Losonc, Lučenec

28k

The small Hungarian agricultural town is situated in the Nógrád Basin by the Krivány stream. It suffered much from the devastations of foreign invaders. In the middle of the 15th century it was captured by Czech marauders, who turned the church into their hideout. A hundred years later Turks captured the town. In 1849 during the Hungarian War of Independence the Russian intervention army burned it to ashes as a revenge for the resistance. In January 1919 the town, which was still inhabited by Hungarians, was invaded by the Czechoslovak Legion. The invaders tore down the statue of Kossuth Lajos, the leader of the Hungarian War of Independence, in a despicable way, under cover of night, and dragged it across the town. After the Second World War the Hungarian population, which had survived all hardships so far, was driven away by the barbaric conquerors.

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Dunaszerdahely, Dunajská Streda

23k

The town is the center of Csallóköz, which is the largest inland island of the Danube River and also the entire Europe. It is one of the most fertile lands of the country and it covers its largest underground water reservoir, which the visitors can enjoy as well in its thermal spas. The population of the area is still predominantly Hungarian, and the town is also one of the few towns of the former Upper Hungary whose Hungarian majority could still not be broken by the Czech-Slovak invaders. Sorrowfully a significant part the historic town center was destroyed by the Slovak nationalists operating under the cloak of communism, but was renewed in a unique image during the nineties according to the plans of the Hungarian architect Makovecz Imre.

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Ipolyság, Šahy

The former seat of Hont County could bear its title until 1920, when the almost entirely Hungarian town was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. The Museum of Hont opened in the early 20th century was closed by the Czechoslovaks, but could be reopened in 1992 after having recovered most of its original collection. The former county hall, now town hall, hosts the gallery of the pictures of the Hungarian painter Simonyi Lajos. Despite the persecutions in the 20th century the town could preserve its Hungarian majority.

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Rózsahegy, Ružomberok

27k

The town is situated at the foot of the Great Fatra on the bank of the Vág River and was founded by Saxon miners in the 13th century. Its name means a hill overgrown with roses. It lay at the crossroads of two important trade routes, one led from the mining towns of northern Hungary to Poland and the other led from the Hungarian town of Kassa to Silesia. The determining factor of the town's economy is still the wood and paper industry, which became established in the second half of the 19th century and started the development of the town.

After the destructions of the Mongol Invasion King Béla IV of Hungary invited German settlers to the area. In 1321 King Charles I of Hungary granted the settlement the status of free royal town. His son, King Louis I of Hungary granted equal rights to the Germans and the Slavs living in the town. It was burned down twice by Czech Hussite marauders in the 1430s, the Germans disappeared and the town began to decline. In 1848, during the Hungarian War of Independence, the burghers of the town refused to supply the Austrian army, and the army led by Beniczky Lajos defeated Hurban, who broke into Hungary from Galicia with his army recruited from Slovak peasants in order to help the Habsburgs suppress the War of Independence, which most of the Slovak minority also supported. The town developed a lot before First World War. In December 1918, the greedy Czechs, dissatisfied with their own independence, invaded northern Hungary. And in February of the following year, Andrej Hlinka, a former big advocate of the Czech-Slovak unification, agitated in vain in Zsolna, saying that they had to break away from the Czechs, it was already too late. The victorious powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population.

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Podolin, Podolínec

The town was founded by German settlers on the site of the former Hungarian border post destroyed during the Mongol Invasion. Due to its advanced handicraft and trade, it quickly rose to the rank of a town. King Sigismund of Hungary, in order to finance his war for recapturing the Dalmatian towns from Venice, pawned 13 towns of Szepes to Poland, including Podolin, in 1412. Althought it was originally planned for only a short time, it finally lasted until 1772. The Palatine of Krakow invited Piarists to the town in 1642, and they opened the first Piarist grammar school of Hungary. The Hungarian writer Krúdy Gyula also attended the school and his novel entitled The Ghost of Podolin was inspired by the period spent here. In 1918 the Czechoslovak army invaded the town and they expropriated the Piarist grammar school, which ceased to function. The Piarists were displaced, and later the equipments of the school were allowed to be transported to present-day Hungary. Visitors can admire the typical 17th century burgher's houses and the beautiful renaissance bell tower next to the 13th century church on the main square, the memories of the Germans who once lived here and were displaced by Czechoslovaks.

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Kisszeben, Sabinov

12k

The small town on the bank of the Tarca River was founded by Flemish settlers in the 12th century. In 1412 it became the member of the Pentapolitana, the alliance of the five most important free royal towns of northern Hungary led by Kassa. During the Thirty Year's War in 1619 the Habsburg supporter Homonnay Drugeth György attacked the heartland of Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania, while he was besieging Vienna. Homonnay attacked Kisszeben, but he was repelled with the help of the army of Sáros County and the burghers of Eperjes. The burghers of the town took part in the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849. The famous Hungarian painter Csontváry Kosztka Tivadar was born in the town. The Hungarian and German population was displaced by the Czechoslovaks after 1945.

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Pöstyén, Piešťany

30k

The healing water of the world-famous spa town on the Vág River was mentioned as early as 1549 by Wernher György in his work entitled The Wonderful Waters of Hungary, but the 67-degree thermal spring of the island of the Vág River was already known to the Romans. The first stone bathhouse, the Napoleon Bath, which still operates today, was constructed by the landowner Erdődy János in the 1820s. The town was made world-famous by the Winter family, who leased the land in 1888 and built additional spa houses and hotels. Unfortunately, only a few of the former spa hotels still operate, they have been abandoned, destroyed, or given other functions.

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Turócszentmárton, Martin

55k

The town on the Turóc River surrounded by the Little and the Great Fatra is the center of the Turóc Basin, and it was the seat of Turóc County as well until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia. It got its name from its church dedicated to St Martin, which was built by Master Dancs, the local landowner, in the early 14th century. In the late 19th century the industry of the town flourished and it became a center for the Slovak separatists in Hungary, who were mainly incited by Czech nationalists aspiring for Hungarian lands. However, their ideology achieved much greater success at the international level than at home. This was the reason why Czech and Slovak leaders did not support a referendum at the end of World War I, because they knew they would most likely lose it, and the coveted Czechoslovakia could never have come into being.

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Kamil Korecz / CC BY-SA

Liptószentmiklós, Liptovský Mikuláš

32k

The town lies on the bank of the Vág River in the valley between the Low and High Tatras next to the Liptószentmária Reservoir. It got its name from the church dedicated to St Nicholas built around 1280. In 1677 the town became the seat of Liptó County and remained so until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia. The greatest folk hero of the Slovaks, the brigand Juraj Jánošík, was executed in the town in 1713 for his evildoings. According to the Slovak folklore his power came from his magic items, which he received from the fairies. These were a swineherd axe (valaska), a belt, a white shirt, and his pigtail hair. In the early 19th century, a significant Slovak cultural life unfolded in the town.

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Jan Starec / CC BY-SA

Ólubló, Stará Ľubovňa

16k

The castle, located on a hill above the river Poprad, was built at the turn of the 14th century by the ispán of Szepes County at the order of King Andrew III of Hungary in order to control the important trade route towards Poland. The settlement under the castle was granted the status of free royal town by King Louis I of Hungary. King Sigismund of Hungary made peace with King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland here, and in order to finance his war for taking back the Dalmatian towns from Venice, he pawned 13 towns of Szepes County to Poland, together with the castle of Ólubló, in 1412. Although the pawn was only planned for the short term, finally it lasted until 1772. The Poles governed the pawned towns of Szepes from this castle. The famous Hungarian traveler Benyovszky Móric, who was elected King of Madagascar by the native inhabitants of the island in 1776, was imprisoned here for some time.

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Investigatio / CC BY-SA

Bazin, Pezinok

23k

The small town at the foot of the Little Carpathians was originally a mining settlement. Later in the 16th century German settlers arrived and they made it a major wine-producing region. It quickly became rich due to its excellent wines and it was granted the status of a free royal town. Its castle was built by the Bazini and Szentgyörgyi family in the 13th century. It was turned into a Renaissance castle by the Illésházy family at the beginning of the 17th century, and Pálffy János, a member of the extremely wealthy Hungarian aristocratic family, renovated it at the beginning of the 20th century.

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Horakvlado (talk) Horakvlado / CC BY-SA

Modor, Modra

As early as 1326, it was recorded that the inhabitants of the town at the foot of the Little Carpathians were engaged in viticulture, no wonder that this region has long been famous for its excellent wines. Nothing proves this better than the fact that there is a vine on the right field of its ancient coat of arms. It was granted the status of free royal town in the early 17th century and it was surrounded by walls, some sections of which and one town gate can still be seen. Its inhabitants converted to the Lutheran faith during the Reformation and established a grammar school. The Lutheran presence was so strong that the town became an episcopal seat in 1741. It also became famous for its majolica manufactory, founded in 1883, which can be visited. You cannot reach Modor by train. In 1838, when the horse-drawn railway connecting Pozsony with Nagyszombat was in the planning phase, the representative body of the town of Modor protested, arguing that the railway spreads immorality and sin, so the railway eventually avoided the city. Thirty years later, when the horse-drawn railway was converted into a steam railway, the Modorians offered 60,000 gold to lay the track closer to their city, but their request was not granted.

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Валерий Дед / CC BY

Korpona, Krupina

The town was founded by Saxon miners from Transylvania in the valley of the Korpona stream at the foot of the Selmec Mountains. Later it got Slovakized as a result of the devastation of wars. It was the seat of Hont County within Hungary until the late 17th century. Prince Bocskai István of Transylvania, who led an uprising against the tyranny of the Habsburg king, held the country assembly of Hungary in the town in 1605, which decided on the terms of peace and the famous diploma was also issued here that emancipated the hajdú soldiers from the jurisdiction of their lords, granted them land and personal freedom.

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Nagymihály, Michalovce

39k

The town is situated on the bank of the Laborc River near the artificial Wide Lake south of the Vihorlát Mountains. The agricultural town became the center of the Sztáray estate and Count Sztáray Imre, ispán of Ung County, constructed a Baroque manor house in the 17th century on the site of the former castle built after the Mongol Invasion. The Sztáray family had to flee from the invading Sovjet horde in 1944. Now their former manor house hosts the Museum of Zemplén, since the town once belonged to Zemplén County. In the 18th century Slavs and Jews migrated to the town. The majority spoke Hungarian as their mother tongue when the town was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. The Hungarian and German inhabitants were displaced by the Czechoslovaks after 1945.

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Szeder László / CC BY-SA

Homonna, Humenné

33k

The town is located on the bank of the Laborc River at the foot of the Vihorlát Mountains. Its history is strongly tied to the Drugeth family, who even took the noble surname Homonnay. Their ancestors arrived to Hungary as the followers of Charles Robert, later King Charles I, who granted them the land as a fief. Homonnai Drugeth Bálint was the talented commander of Prince Bocskai István of Transylvania during his uprising against the Habsburg tyranny. But after the Estates of Transylvania rejected him to be the new Prince, he swore loyalty to the Habsburgs. The Polish mercenary army recruited by Homonnay Drugeth György played a key role in that Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania finally did not capture Vienna in 1619 during the Thirty Years' War. The notable family got extinct in 1684, when Prince Thököly Imre of Upper Hungary beheaded the traitor Homonnay Drugeth Zsigmond. Their former castle, which was turned to French Baroque style by the Andrássy family, is now occupied by the Museum of Vihorlát Mountains.

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Pierre Bona / CC BY-SA

Breznóbánya, Brezno

21k

The little town is situated in the valley of the Garam River between the Low Tatras and the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains. It was founded by Germans invited to Hungary after the devastations of the Mongol Invasion. It became famous for its gold, silver and iron mining. On April 30, 1517, a tragedy struck the town. The lords of Zólyomlipcse Castle, the Nagylucseis, attacked Breznóbánya because of a debate on property. They looted the church and set the parish on fire, where the burghers of the town sought asylum. King Louis II of Hungary sentenced them to death and confiscation of property, but the judgment could not be executed because of the weak royal power. In 1621 the town supporting Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania valiantly resisted the Imperial siege, but finally it was plundered. The iron industry flourished in the town from the 18th century, and its industrial character was also dominant in the 20th century.

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Jacquesverlaeken / CC BY-SA

Aranyosmarót, Zlaté Moravce

12k

The town on the banks of the Zsitva stream, close to the mountains, was mentioned for the first time in 1075. During the era of the House of Árpád, the Cumans living here washed gold from the sand of the Zsitva stream. By the early 18th century, it had become famous for its cloth industry. In 1779 the estate was acquired by Migazzi Kristóf, Archbishop of Vienna and Bishop of Vác, which brought prosperity. Soon it became the seat of Bars County. In the late 19th century the railway reached the town. A brewery, a sugar factory, a brick factory and a steam mill were established, but the textile industry and the carpet manufacturing were also started. The Museum of Bars (today Museum of Nyitra Region) was opened in 1896 for the Millennium of Hungary. In December 1918 the Czechoslovak Legion invaded the town. During the counter-offensive in June 1919, the local inhabitants also took up the fight against the invaders, but they faced a bloody retaliation and the Hungarian leaders were executed. The Trianon Dictate finally took the mostly Hungarian-inhabited town from Hungary and the Hungarians were displaced.

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János Korom Dr. / CC BY-SA

Alsókubin, Dolný Kubín

19k

The town is situated on the bank of the Árva River surrounded by mountains. It took its name from the Kylfings, a Scandinavian people, who arrived in the Carpathian Basin with the Hungarians, and who were settled down in the area by Grand Prince Taksony to guard the border. The settlement gained town status through its owner Illésházy Gáspár in 1632. After 50 years it became the seat of Árva County and remained so until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia.

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Kamil Czainski / CC BY-SA

Dobsina, Dobšiná

The town surrounded by the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains was founded by Saxon miners in 1326. Gold, silver, nickel, later iron, copper, cobalt and mercury was mined in its neighborhood. In the 17th century Dobsina became a regional center of the iron industry, where arms were also manufactured. The first iron smelter of Hungary was also built here in 1680. The mines and forges were closed by the late 19th century. In 1919, the bust of Kossuth Lajos, the political leader of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence in 1848, was destroyed by the Czechoslovak army, which occupied the town mostly inhabited by Germans and Hungarians. In 1945 the invading Czechoslovak army deported the German and Hungarian inhabitants of the town. At the railway station of Prerov, Bohemia, drunken Czechoslovak soldiers brutally massacred 265 deported German and Hungarian civilians from Dobsina, who were waiting for their train to return home. The famous Dobsina Ice Cave discovered in 1870 can be found in its vicinity. The villa of one of the discoverers, Ruffinyi Jenő, is currently left abandoned in the town.

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Nagytapolcsány, Topoľčany

25k

The town in the valley of the Nyitra River was founded by German settlers in the 12th century, and it later rose to the rank of free royal town. Several aristocratic families owned it afterwards, the Turks plundered it more than once, and fire and cholera epidemic also devastated the settlement. The estate was purchased by the Stummer family in 1868, who established a modern sugar factory in the town. In December 1918, Czechoslovaks invaded the town, and they displaced the Hungarian and German inhabitants after 1945. Its most important attraction is the Baroque Church of the Assumption built on the site of a 13th century church.

The town is situated in the valley of the Nyitra River, surrounded by mountains. It was first mentioned in 1113. In the late 14th century it gained town privileges from Queen Mary of Hungary, by that time had become rich from gold mining. In 1653 the widow of the landowner Pálffy Pál invited Jesuit and Piarist monks to the town. The Piarists established a monastery, a library and a grammar school. In the 18th century the town was attached to the lordship of Bajmóc and lost its privileges. Bajmóc Castle can be found in its neighborhood, which was transformed into Neo-gothic style on the model of the French castles of the Loire Valley at the turn of the 20th century on the instructions of Pálffy János, who also made most of the plans.

The town is situated in the northwestern corner of the country near the Czech and Polish borders surrounded by mountains. It dates back to the 15th century, when vlach shepherds were settled in the area. The St. Bartholomew Church was built in the first half of the 18th century with the support of Erdődy György. Empress Maria Theresia granted it town status in 1778. On 7 November, 1918 the Czechoslovak Legion broke into Hungary through the Jablunka Pass and invaded Csaca. The Hungarian counter-attack starting on November 12 drove the Czechs out of Hungary. Afterwards the naive Entente-friendly Károlyi Mihály came to power in Hungary with a revolution, who dismissed the military and forbade any resistance, which rendered the country defenseless. The Czechs were then able to occupy the northern part of Hungary without hindrance, which ultimately led to the creation of Czechoslovakia.

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Vojtěch Dočkal / CC BY-SA

{"category":0,"language":"en","region":"slovakia","regionid":2,"set":[{"id":"1","name":"Pozsony","localname":"Bratislava; Prešporok ","seolink":"pozsony-bratislava","gps_lat":"48.1434520000","gps_long":"17.1083740000","population":"426","picture":"own","picture_ref":"","description":"The present-day town was founded by Hungarians, who arrived in the Carpathian Basin in 895. It took its name from the first ispán of the county established by King Stephen I of Hungary in 1000. Its castle repeatedly defended the country from the German armies arriving with the purpose of conquest. King Sigismund of Hungary fortified it against the Czech Hussite plunderers, whose attack it could finally repel. King Matthias of Hungary founded a Renaissance university in the town called Academia Istropolitana in 1467. But Pozsony gained its real significance after the Turks occupied the country's capital, Buda, in 1541. The new capital of Hungary became Pozsony. In the following centuries, 10 ruling kings and 1 queen of the Habsburg House were crowned in St. Martin’s Cathedral, and the country assemblies were also mostly held in the town. Many churches, aristocratic palaces and public buildings were built in the town worthy of its rank. The anti-Habsburg Hungarian insurgents occupied it more than once. The Hungarian baron and ispán of Pozsony County Pálffy Pál expanded the palace and added the four ornamental towers and Empress Maria Theresia turned it into Baroque style. The country assembly in 1836 made Hungarian the official language of Hungary instead of the Latin. The first horse-drawn railway of Hungary was also opened between Pozsony and Nagyszombat. In 1919 the Czechoslovak army invaded the predominantly Hungarian and German town, fired at the peacefully protesting crowd and tore down the Hungarian statues. The violent Slovakization of the town began afterwards. After 1945 the remaining Hungarian and German inhabitants of the town were displaced, but the old buildings and monuments of the town will always preserve their memory."},{"id":"17","name":"Kassa","localname":"Košice ","seolink":"kassa-kosice","gps_lat":"48.7205430000","gps_long":"21.2580990000","population":"241","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"King Béla IV of Hungary invited German settlers after the small Hungarian settlement was destroyed in the Mongol Invasion. In the Battle of Rozgony in 1312 the burghers of Kassa helped King Charles I of Hungary to victory over the united army of the Aba family and Csák Máté, because previously the king protected the town from the tyranny of the oligarchs. The construction of the Gothic cathedral dedicated to St. Elisabeth of Hungary started in 1374. In 1412 the Pentapolitana, the alliance of the five most important free royal towns of northern Hungary, was created with the leadership of Kassa. During the reign of King Matthias of Hungary, Kassa was one of the largest European towns with its population of 10 thousand. During the 17th century Kassa was the center of the Hungarian uprisings against the Habsburg emperor and also the starting point of the campaigns of the Hungarian princes of Transylvania against Vienna within the Kingdom of Hungary. It was also the center of the Hungarian War of Independence between 1703 and 1711 led by Prince Rákóczi Ferenc II. The remains of the prince and his companions in exile, brought home from Rodosto (Turkey) in 1906, were placed in the crypt of the St. Elisabeth Cathedral. In 1918 the Czechoslovak army invaded the predominantly Hungarian town, tore down the memorial of the Hungarian War of Independence and fired at the peacefully protesting crowd. Afterwards Kassa was attached to the newly created Czechoslovakia. In 1945 the Czechoslovak president Benes announced his decrees on the persecution and the deprivation of properties of the Hungarian and German people from the balcony of the seat of the former Abaúj-Torna County, as a result of which there are hardly any Hungarians left in the town."},{"id":"3","name":"Komárom","localname":"Komárno","seolink":"komarom-komarno","gps_lat":"47.7571410000","gps_long":"18.1294410000","population":"36","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The ancient Hungarian town is divided not only by the Danube but also by a border, because its northern part, which includes its historic center, was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia in 1920. The foundation of the town dates back to the foundation of Hungary. Its fortress played a key role in protecting the country against the Turkish invaders, who could never capture it. One of the most modern and impregnable fortification systems of Europe was created here, which strongly resisted the Austrian siege during the Hungarian War of Independence between 1848 and 1849, even after its suppression by the Russian intervention forces. The amnesty obtained by giving up the fortress ensured safety for thousands of Hungarian patriots, including the playwright Madách Imre, who could later write The tragedy of man. The town was once the seat of Komárom-Esztergom County, and is widely known from the novel The Man with the Golden Touch written by the Hungarian writer Jókai Mór, which is a must read for students in Hungary. It still has a Hungarian majority and is the seat of the Hungarian University of Slovakia named after Selye János, the first scientist to demonstrate the existence of biological stress."},{"id":"25","name":"Nagyszombat","localname":"Trnava ","seolink":"nagyszombat-trnava","gps_lat":"48.3778120000","gps_long":"17.5864040000","population":"65","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":" The town located only 60 kilometers from Pozsony, to which it was once connected by the first horse-drawn railway of Hungary, is also called \"little Rome\" after its numerous churches and also because as the seat of the Archbishop of Esztergom it was the religious and cultural center of Hungary for nearly 300 years due to the Turkish conquest. Archbishop Pázmány Péter established a university here in 1635, which is still one of the most prestigious universities of Hungary seated now in Budapest. The town was an important trade hub and it got its name from its famous fairs held on Saturdays. It developed to one of the largest towns of Europe by the 13th century. It was one of the favorite places of King Louis the Great of Hungary to stay, he started the construction of the St. Nicholas Cathedral, and he also died here in 1382. The area is famous for its great wines and several cultural events await the visitors."},{"id":"27","name":"Nyitra","localname":"Nitra ","seolink":"nyitra-nitra","gps_lat":"48.3163590000","gps_long":"18.0886350000","population":"77","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town that took its name from the Nyitra River was an important episcopal seat and also the seat of the former Nyitra County and played an important role in the early history of Hungary. The pagan rival of Stephen I, the first Christian king of Hungary, named Vazul was held captive and blinded in its castle. The Bavarian Gisela, the wife of Stephen I, established the predecessor of the present-day cathedral and dedicated it to St. Emmeram, the patron saint of Regensburg. The monastery on Mount Zobor was also founded at that time under the patronage of the Bavarian saint Hippolyte. Nyitra was the seat of the Duchy that was traditionally held by the ruling king's younger brother. Since the dukes often aspired to the throne, this institution was abolished by King Kálmán the Book-Lover, who also established the Bishopric of Nyitra in 1113 and constructed the first stone castle here. The monument erected in 1896 for the Millennium of Hungary was exploded by the Czechoslovak invaders in 1921, but its magnificent pedestal still stands on Mount Zobor next to the radio transmitter. The former Hungarian majority of the town was swept away by the persecutions during the 20th century, but they left behind an indelible mark in the cultural heritage of the town."},{"id":"16","name":"Eperjes","localname":"Prešov ","seolink":"eperjes-presov","gps_lat":"48.9975670000","gps_long":"21.2404160000","population":"89","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"Eperjes was once called Athens on the Tarca River because of its high quality education, which began in 1665, when the Lutheran college was founded from the contributions of the Lutherans of Hungary. The school focused on the education of natural sciences and of the mother tongue, the Hungarian. In the 19th century there were a grammar school and a college with faculties of low, theology and teacher training in the town. Several famous Hungarians learned there, including Kossuth Lajos and Márai Sándor. All this was ended by the Czechoslovak invaders in 1919, who closed the schools, which were then moved to present-day Hungary. The town was founded by King Béla II the Blind of Hungary, who named it after the strawberry growing in the area. It became the seat of Sáros County in 1647. Eperjes was a strong bastion of the anti-Habsburg uprising of Thököly Imre, and in retaliation the tribunal of General Caraffa tortured 300 people and brutally executed 24 wealthy burghers to put his hands on their fortune. The Hungarian and German population was thinned by the plague in the 18th century and Slavs started to migrate to the town, but it got Slovakized during the persecutions of the 20th century."},{"id":"13","name":"Késmárk","localname":"Kežmarok","seolink":"kesmark-kezmarok","gps_lat":"49.1364890000","gps_long":"20.4310610000","population":"16","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town on the Poprád River was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion. Its name comes from the German Käsemarkt meaning cheese market, which the town became entitled to hold in 1269. As one of the most important merchant towns of Szepes, in the 16th century it had a fierce rivalry with Lőcse for the staple right, the right to stop goods. The rivalry ended with the victory of Lőcse in 1544, when King Ferdinand I of Hungary sentenced Késmárk to \"eternal silence\". Its castle was acquired by the Thököly family in 1583, who made it their seat of power. The castle was confiscated from Thököly István in 1671 for participating in the Wesselényi-conspiracy against the Habsburg emperor Leopold I. The treasures were transported from the castle to Vienna on 16 carriages. Thököly Imre, leader of the anti-Habsburg insurgents and later Prince of Upper Hungary, who was also born here, took it back from the Emperor a couple of times. His earthly remains brought home in 1906 from Nicomedia (now Izmit, Turkey) were laid to rest in the mausoleum of the new Lutheran church of the town. The Saxons of Szepes proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately."},{"id":"14","name":"Lőcse","localname":"Levoča","seolink":"locse-levoca","gps_lat":"49.0265480000","gps_long":"20.5894120000","population":"15","picture":"own","picture_ref":"","description":"The town was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion, and soon it became their most important town, their center. The town was granted staple right in 1321 on the trade route between Hungary and Poland, for which it had a fierce rivalry with Késmárk in the 16th century. The rivalry ended with the victory of Lőcse in 1544, when King Ferdinand I of Hungary sentenced Késmárk to \"eternal silence\". Lőcse became the seat of Szepes County in the 18th century. The pilgrimage site on Mount Mary has been one of the most significant in Hungary since the 13th century, and Pope John Paul II also visited the Basilica of the Virgin Mary in 1995. The Saxons of Szepes supported the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849, and they also proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately. Its most famous attractions are the Gothic town hall known from the series The Black City made from Jókai Mór's novel and the church of St. James with the Gothic winged altar of Master Lőcsei Pál."},{"id":"33","name":"Selmecbánya","localname":"Banská Štiavnica","seolink":"selmecbanya-banska-stiavnica","gps_lat":"48.4587430000","gps_long":"18.8932970000","population":"10","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":" The town was one of the most important mining towns of Hungary, its silver and gold mines were among the most significant. Stephen I of Hungary already minted coin from the silver mined here. The settlement was destroyed during the Mongol Invasion and was repopulated by German miners. Hungary gave one quarter of the global silver production at that time. King Charles I of Hungary started minting silver coins called garas, which kept a constant value, in 1329. The town's defenses were built during the 1500s because of the Turkish threat, but the town was never occupied by them. The world's first Mining Academy was established here in 1770, which became the model for the Polytechnique in Paris. Selmecbánya was the third largest town of Hungary at that time. With the decline of mining, it became an important school town, and the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy expanded with a faculty of forest engineering. All this ended with the Czechoslovak occupation in 1919, when the Academy had to move to the territory of present-day Hungary. Several mining tunnels and a mining museum provide an insight into the town’s mining past."},{"id":"32","name":"Besztercebánya","localname":"Banská Bystrica","seolink":"besztercebanya-banska-bystrica","gps_lat":"48.7355300000","gps_long":"19.1452240000","population":"78","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":" The town was one of the most important mining towns of Hungary, which was famous primarily for its copper mining. It was founded by Saxons settled down by King Béla IV after the Mongol Invasion. After the death of King Matthias royal power declined in Hungary, and the Thurzó and Fugger families, who acquired mining and metallurgy rights, founded the Ungarischer Handel Company, which became the world's leading copper producer by the 16th century. They used the most sophisticated mining technologies in Europe. Copper was essential for the production of modern firearms, and Besztercebánya's copper production covered 40% of Europe's copper demand. In 1620, the Hungarian parliament elected Prince Betlehen Gábor of Transylvania as king in the town, who led a campaign against the Habsburg ruler in the Thirty Years' War. The copper mine was depleted by the 18th century and the role of the town changed. It became the seat of Zólyom County, and in 1776 Empress Maria Theresa made it an episcopal seat. The Hungarians of the town were driven away by the Czechoslovaks who gained power during the 20th century."},{"id":"34","name":"Körmöcbánya","localname":"Kremnica","seolink":"kormocbanya-kremnica","gps_lat":"48.7047100000","gps_long":"18.9175290000","population":"5","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":" The town was one of the most important mining towns of Hungary, which was famous for its gold mines and its coin mint. It was founded by German settlers in the 12th century. Its coin mint was established by King Charles I of Hungary, who started minting gold florins in the town in 1335, which became popular all over Europe. At that time Hungary gave 80 percent of Europe's gold production. At its heyday 14,000 gold coins were minted here annually. The last gold ducats (as the coins were later called) used as money were minted in 1881. In October 1918, the minting machines had to be evacuated to Budapest from the occupying Czechs. The traditions of minting are presented to the visitors by the Coin and Medal Museum and the coin mint."},{"id":"15","name":"Bártfa","localname":"Bardejov","seolink":"bartfa-bardejov","gps_lat":"49.2932780000","gps_long":"21.2759210000","population":"33","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town, famous for its Gothic architecture and its well preserved medieval town walls, was founded by German settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary after the Mongol Invasion. It was granted staple right and quickly got rich from its trade with Poland. In 1412 it became the member of the Pentapolitana, the alliance of the five most important free royal towns of northern Hungary led by Kassa. In 1453 Captain in Chief Hunyadi János crushed the army of Talafus, a leader of Czech Hussite marauders plundering northern Hungary, outside the walls of the town. Slovaks and Jews migrated to the town in the 18th century, and the trade started to decline with the partition of Poland. The Museum of Sáros was opened in the Gothic town hall in 1907. One of its most important attractions is the 14th century Gothic church dedicated to the patron of the town, St. Egidius. The Hungarian and German population was displaced by the Czechoslovaks during the 20th century."},{"id":"18","name":"Rozsnyó","localname":"Rožňava","seolink":"rozsnyo-roznava","gps_lat":"48.6624130000","gps_long":"20.5326590000","population":"19","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":" The town of Rozsnyó surrounded by the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains was originally a mining settlement founded by German settlers in the 13th century. Gold, silver and later mainly iron was mined. During the Hungarian War of Independence between 1703 and 1711, Prince Rákóczi Ferenc II and his court decided to convene the country assembly to Ónod in order to dethrone the House of Habsburg while they stayed in Rozsnyó. In 1776 Empress Maria Theresia made Rozsnyó an episcopal seat, which affected it greatly. Many famous people attended its schools. The town owes much to its rich patrons Count Andrássy Dénes and especially his wife Countess Franciska, who has a statue on the main square. The Museum of Mining was opened in 1912 with their support. The museum had to be closed after the Czechoslovak occupation in 1919, and it could be reopened only in 1938, when the predominantly Hungarian town returned to Hungary. The museum was closed again after the Soviet invasion and the recreation of Czechoslovakia. Fortunately it is now open and receives visitors."},{"id":"29","name":"Trencsén","localname":"Trenčín ","seolink":"trencsen-trencin","gps_lat":"48.8950520000","gps_long":"18.0419540000","population":"56","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The magnificent castle on the cliff above the Vág River protected Hungary from the attacks of the Czechs. At its peak, in the turbulent period after the extinction of the Hungarian Árpád House, it was the seat of the infamous Hungarian oligarch, Csák Máté. He plundered secular and church property at will, and did not acknowledge any power over himself. The Church excommunicated him twice in vain and the king waged war on him multiple times, but his power could only be broken by his death due to natural causes in 1321. Afterwards his castles surrendered to King Charles I of Hungary one after another voluntarily. Only Trencsén resisted, until after a hard siege, Csák Máté's cousin gave up the castle to the king in exchange for other estates."},{"id":"31","name":"Zólyom","localname":"Zvolen","seolink":"zolyom-zvolen","gps_lat":"48.5766720000","gps_long":"19.1255390000","population":"43","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"Pusztavár Castle, which was built on a hill southwest of the town in the 11th century, was the seat of Zólyom County. It originally covered a huge area stretching to the Polish border. It was the private hunting ground of the Hungarian kings of the House of Árpád, and its scarce population served as foresters and rangers. In 1338, as the population was growing, King Charles I of Hungary divided Zólyom County into four counties, which were Zólyom, Liptó, Turóc and Árva. His son, King Louis I, often referred to as Louis the Great or the Knight King, built a hunting castle in Zólyom, because he could reach both his kingdoms, Hungary and Poland, easily from here. Pusztavár Castle was destroyed under unknown circumstances in the second half of the 15th century, and the hunting castle had no real defense value and did not play a serious military role. Balassa Bálint, a Hungarian Renaissance poet, was born here, who fought heroically against the Turks. The statue of Kossuth Lajos, the political leader of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence, was removed after the Czechoslovak occupation in 1919. It was found hidden in a farm building in 1943, and later re-erected in Borsi. The town lost its Hungarian population during the persecutions of the 20th century."},{"id":"5","name":"Rimaszombat","localname":"Rimavská Sobota","seolink":"rimaszombat-rimavska-sobota","gps_lat":"48.3834470000","gps_long":"20.0175990000","population":"24","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is located at the foot of the Rátkó Mountains on the banks of the Rima River. It got its name from the river and from its fairs held on Saturdays. The predominantly Hungarian town was the seat of Gömör-Kishont County until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. Several famous Hungarians were associated with the town, which proudly preserves the memory of Petőfi Sándor, the great poet of the Hungarian Revolution in 1848, who visited Rimaszombat in 1845. The sculptor Ferenczy István rests in its Calvinist church, and several famous people attended its grammar school, for example the writer Mikszáth Kálmán and the sculptor Izsó Miklós. The statue of Petőfi Sándor, based on the plaster model created by Izsó Miklós, was erected in the town in 2004."},{"id":"47","name":"Fülek","localname":"Fiľakovo","seolink":"fulek-filakovo","gps_lat":"48.2702880000","gps_long":"19.8233440000","population":"11","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The castle was allegedly built by a rogue knight, who lured the unfortunate people seeking refuge during the Mongol Invasion to the castle with a bell, than looted and pushed them off the castle cliff. But he was not the only unworthy person, who held the castle in his hands. For example in 1483 King Matthias of Hungary had to smoke the traitor Perényi István out of it by a siege. It was an important part of the defense system of Hungary during the Turkish wars, and it fell in 1554 in a rather laughable way. A Saracen slave serving in the castle let the Turks in through the garbage chute while the guards were fast asleep after the previous day's merry-making. But the Turks left the castle in barely 40 years under not less humorous circumstances. It finally met its fate in 1682, when the joint armies of Thököly Imre, leader of the anti-Habsburg Hungarian uprising, and the Turks besieged it. When all hope was lost, its overly persistent captain Koháry István gave in to his soldier's pressure to surrender only when they threatened to push him off the castle wall. The Turks, being angry about their huge losses suffered during the siege, destroyed the castle against the request of Thököly. The town still has a Hungarian majority despite the fact that many Slovaks were moved in after the town was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia in 1920."},{"id":"10","name":"Poprád","localname":"Poprad","seolink":"poprad-poprad","gps_lat":"49.0547560000","gps_long":"20.3016920000","population":"52","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The present-day town on the Poprád River was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion, who were mainly engaged in copper mining. King Sigismund of Hungary, in order to finance his war for recapturing the Dalmatian towns from Venice, pawned 13 towns of Szepes to Poland, including Poprád, in 1412. Althought it was originally planned for only a short time, it finally lasted until 1772. After the railway reached the town, it became industrialized. The Carpathian Association of Hungary founded the Carpathian Museum in 1883, which was renamed to Tatra Museum by the Czechoslovaks in 1945. The lines of the Local Electric Railways of Tatra were completed by the year 1912, as well as the hiking paths, and the tourism was booming. The Saxons of Szepes proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately."},{"id":"11","name":"Szepesszombat","localname":"Spišská Sobota","seolink":"szepesszombat-spisska-sobota","gps_lat":"49.0658900000","gps_long":"20.3158700000","population":"0","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The present-day town on the Poprád River was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion, which is so much reflected in its characteristic architecture, especially in the burgher's houses surrounding the main square and in its bell tower. It got its German name, Georgenberg, from the St. George church, which had already been built earlier. King Sigismund of Hungary, in order to finance his war for recapturing the Dalmatian towns from Venice, pawned 13 towns of Szepes to Poland, including Szepesszombat, in 1412. Although it was originally planned for only a short time, finally lasted until 1772. The Saxons of Szepes supported the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849, and they also proved their loyalty in 1918 during the Czechoslovak invasion, when they declared their will to remain part of Hungary. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately. The town is now part of Poprad."},{"id":"12","name":"Igló; Szepesújhely; Szepesújfalu","localname":"Spišská Nová Ves","seolink":"iglo-spisska-nova-ves","gps_lat":"48.9439790000","gps_long":"20.5675570000","population":"37","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The beautiful karst area next to the town on the Hernád River was named the Paradise of Upper Hungary by Hajts Béla, a member of the Carpathian Association. Later the Slovaks renamed it to Slovak Paradise (Slovensky Raj), and Igló is considered to be its capital. The town was founded by Saxon settlers invited by King Béla IV of Hungary to Szepes after the Mongol Invasion. It was famous for its copper mining and the bell foundry of Gál Konrád, which also has a memorial. From 1778 to 1876 it was the center of the province of the Saxon towns of Szepes. The Saxons of Szepes supported the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849, the memorial of which was destroyed by the Czechoslovak invaders in 1919. The Saxons of Szepes declared their will to remain part of Hungary during the invasion. Unfortunately the great powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population when drawing the borders. The newly created Czechoslovakia had no need of the native nationalities and after World War II they took advantage of the favorable opportunity and displaced the Saxons immediately."},{"id":"28","name":"Léva","localname":"Levice","seolink":"leva-levice","gps_lat":"48.2190980000","gps_long":"18.6047640000","population":"33","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The little town is situated in the valley of the Garam River near the Selmec Mountains. It was the seat of Bars County for some time, later its castle played an important role in the defense of Hungary against the Turks. Dobó István, the victorious captain of Eger Castle, was the captain of Léva Castle for a while. He reinforced its defenses and built a palace inside it, which now hosts the exhibitions of the Museum of Bars. The Turks besieged the castle a couple of times and they occupied it once, but they could not hold it even for a year. Its famous Piarist grammar school met its fate in 1920 when the nearly entirely Hungarian town was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. After the Second World War the Czechoslovak rulers deported most of the Hungarian population and moved in Slovaks."},{"id":"2","name":"Érsekújvár","localname":"Nové Zámky","seolink":"ersekujvar-nove-zamky","gps_lat":"47.9860960000","gps_long":"18.1633070000","population":"38","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town was created from scratch in the 1570s inside of one of the most modern fortresses of Europe that was built to protect Hungary from the Turks. In 1663 the fortress could not resist the Turks, who heavily outnumbered the defenders, but it proved to be a more effective tool in the hands of the Hungarian insurgents fighting against the tyranny of the Habsburg emperors. It happened due to this fact as well that the emperor ordered the complete demolition of the fortress in the first half of the 18th century, but the town's street system preserved its shape quite well. The greatest tragedy struck the town on March 14, 1945, when the British-American bombers allied with the Soviet communists destroyed two-thirds of the town together with most of the historic buildings and killed 4,000 innocent people as well. The predominantly Hungarian population of the town was humiliated twice by the invading Czechoslovak army. In 1919 they tore down the statue of Kossuth Lajos, the political leader of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence in 1848, and in 1945 they destroyed the country flag erected on the same spot after the town returned to Hungary in 1938. Due to the persecutions during the 20th century Hungarians are now in a minority in the town."},{"id":"4","name":"Losonc","localname":"Lučenec","seolink":"losonc-lucenec","gps_lat":"48.3284990000","gps_long":"19.6692650000","population":"28","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The small Hungarian agricultural town is situated in the Nógrád Basin by the Krivány stream. It suffered much from the devastations of foreign invaders. In the middle of the 15th century it was captured by Czech marauders, who turned the church into their hideout. A hundred years later Turks captured the town. In 1849 during the Hungarian War of Independence the Russian intervention army burned it to ashes as a revenge for the resistance. In January 1919 the town, which was still inhabited by Hungarians, was invaded by the Czechoslovak Legion. The invaders tore down the statue of Kossuth Lajos, the leader of the Hungarian War of Independence, in a despicable way, under cover of night, and dragged it across the town. After the Second World War the Hungarian population, which had survived all hardships so far, was driven away by the barbaric conquerors."},{"id":"26","name":"Dunaszerdahely","localname":"Dunajská Streda","seolink":"dunaszerdahely-dunajska-streda","gps_lat":"47.9937880000","gps_long":"17.6179030000","population":"23","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is the center of Csallóköz, which is the largest inland island of the Danube River and also the entire Europe. It is one of the most fertile lands of the country and it covers its largest underground water reservoir, which the visitors can enjoy as well in its thermal spas. The population of the area is still predominantly Hungarian, and the town is also one of the few towns of the former Upper Hungary whose Hungarian majority could still not be broken by the Czech-Slovak invaders. Sorrowfully a significant part the historic town center was destroyed by the Slovak nationalists operating under the cloak of communism, but was renewed in a unique image during the nineties according to the plans of the Hungarian architect Makovecz Imre."},{"id":"37","name":"Ipolyság","localname":"Šahy","seolink":"ipolysag-sahy","gps_lat":"48.0697940000","gps_long":"18.9480800000","population":"7","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The former seat of Hont County could bear its title until 1920, when the almost entirely Hungarian town was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. The Museum of Hont opened in the early 20th century was closed by the Czechoslovaks, but could be reopened in 1992 after having recovered most of its original collection. The former county hall, now town hall, hosts the gallery of the pictures of the Hungarian painter Simonyi Lajos. Despite the persecutions in the 20th century the town could preserve its Hungarian majority."},{"id":"6","name":"Rózsahegy","localname":"Ružomberok","seolink":"rozsahegy-ruzomberok","gps_lat":"49.0813960000","gps_long":"19.3028120000","population":"27","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is situated at the foot of the Great Fatra on the bank of the Vág River and was founded by Saxon miners in the 13th century. Its name means a hill overgrown with roses. It lay at the crossroads of two important trade routes, one led from the mining towns of northern Hungary to Poland and the other led from the Hungarian town of Kassa to Silesia. The determining factor of the town's economy is still the wood and paper industry, which became established in the second half of the 19th century and started the development of the town."},{"id":"30","name":"Zsolna","localname":"Žilina ","seolink":"zsolna-zilina","gps_lat":"49.2233830000","gps_long":"18.7394160000","population":"84","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"After the destructions of the Mongol Invasion King Béla IV of Hungary invited German settlers to the area. In 1321 King Charles I of Hungary granted the settlement the status of free royal town. His son, King Louis I of Hungary granted equal rights to the Germans and the Slavs living in the town. It was burned down twice by Czech Hussite marauders in the 1430s, the Germans disappeared and the town began to decline. In 1848, during the Hungarian War of Independence, the burghers of the town refused to supply the Austrian army, and the army led by Beniczky Lajos defeated Hurban, who broke into Hungary from Galicia with his army recruited from Slovak peasants in order to help the Habsburgs suppress the War of Independence, which most of the Slovak minority also supported. The town developed a lot before First World War. In December 1918, the greedy Czechs, dissatisfied with their own independence, invaded northern Hungary. And in February of the following year, Andrej Hlinka, a former big advocate of the Czech-Slovak unification, agitated in vain in Zsolna, saying that they had to break away from the Czechs, it was already too late. The victorious powers weren't interested in the opinion of the local population."},{"id":"22","name":"Podolin","localname":"Podolínec","seolink":"podolin-podolinec","gps_lat":"49.2581410000","gps_long":"20.5349330000","population":"3","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town was founded by German settlers on the site of the former Hungarian border post destroyed during the Mongol Invasion. Due to its advanced handicraft and trade, it quickly rose to the rank of a town. King Sigismund of Hungary, in order to finance his war for recapturing the Dalmatian towns from Venice, pawned 13 towns of Szepes to Poland, including Podolin, in 1412. Althought it was originally planned for only a short time, it finally lasted until 1772. The Palatine of Krakow invited Piarists to the town in 1642, and they opened the first Piarist grammar school of Hungary. The Hungarian writer Krúdy Gyula also attended the school and his novel entitled The Ghost of Podolin was inspired by the period spent here. In 1918 the Czechoslovak army invaded the town and they expropriated the Piarist grammar school, which ceased to function. The Piarists were displaced, and later the equipments of the school were allowed to be transported to present-day Hungary. Visitors can admire the typical 17th century burgher's houses and the beautiful renaissance bell tower next to the 13th century church on the main square, the memories of the Germans who once lived here and were displaced by Czechoslovaks."},{"id":"21","name":"Kisszeben","localname":"Sabinov","seolink":"kisszeben-sabinov","gps_lat":"49.1028810000","gps_long":"21.0974400000","population":"12","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The small town on the bank of the Tarca River was founded by Flemish settlers in the 12th century. In 1412 it became the member of the Pentapolitana, the alliance of the five most important free royal towns of northern Hungary led by Kassa. During the Thirty Year's War in 1619 the Habsburg supporter Homonnay Drugeth György attacked the heartland of Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania, while he was besieging Vienna. Homonnay attacked Kisszeben, but he was repelled with the help of the army of Sáros County and the burghers of Eperjes. The burghers of the town took part in the Hungarian War for Independence against the Habsburg Empire in 1848-1849. The famous Hungarian painter Csontváry Kosztka Tivadar was born in the town. The Hungarian and German population was displaced by the Czechoslovaks after 1945."},{"id":"41","name":"Pöstyén","localname":"Piešťany","seolink":"postyen-piestany","gps_lat":"48.5886470000","gps_long":"17.8386810000","population":"30","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The healing water of the world-famous spa town on the Vág River was mentioned as early as 1549 by Wernher György in his work entitled The Wonderful Waters of Hungary, but the 67-degree thermal spring of the island of the Vág River was already known to the Romans. The first stone bathhouse, the Napoleon Bath, which still operates today, was constructed by the landowner Erdődy János in the 1820s. The town was made world-famous by the Winter family, who leased the land in 1888 and built additional spa houses and hotels. Unfortunately, only a few of the former spa hotels still operate, they have been abandoned, destroyed, or given other functions."},{"id":"7","name":"Turócszentmárton","localname":"Martin","seolink":"turocszentmarton-martin","gps_lat":"49.0649560000","gps_long":"18.9218440000","population":"55","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town on the Turóc River surrounded by the Little and the Great Fatra is the center of the Turóc Basin, and it was the seat of Turóc County as well until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia. It got its name from its church dedicated to St Martin, which was built by Master Dancs, the local landowner, in the early 14th century. In the late 19th century the industry of the town flourished and it became a center for the Slovak separatists in Hungary, who were mainly incited by Czech nationalists aspiring for Hungarian lands. However, their ideology achieved much greater success at the international level than at home. This was the reason why Czech and Slovak leaders did not support a referendum at the end of World War I, because they knew they would most likely lose it, and the coveted Czechoslovakia could never have come into being."},{"id":"8","name":"Liptószentmiklós","localname":"Liptovský Mikuláš","seolink":"liptoszentmiklos-liptovsky-mikulas","gps_lat":"49.0834570000","gps_long":"19.6127050000","population":"32","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town lies on the bank of the Vág River in the valley between the Low and High Tatras next to the Liptószentmária Reservoir. It got its name from the church dedicated to St Nicholas built around 1280. In 1677 the town became the seat of Liptó County and remained so until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia. The greatest folk hero of the Slovaks, the brigand Juraj Jánošík, was executed in the town in 1713 for his evildoings. According to the Slovak folklore his power came from his magic items, which he received from the fairies. These were a swineherd axe (valaska), a belt, a white shirt, and his pigtail hair. In the early 19th century, a significant Slovak cultural life unfolded in the town."},{"id":"46","name":"Ólubló","localname":"Stará Ľubovňa","seolink":"olublo-stara-lubovna","gps_lat":"49.3023810000","gps_long":"20.6905670000","population":"16","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The castle, located on a hill above the river Poprad, was built at the turn of the 14th century by the ispán of Szepes County at the order of King Andrew III of Hungary in order to control the important trade route towards Poland. The settlement under the castle was granted the status of free royal town by King Louis I of Hungary. King Sigismund of Hungary made peace with King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland here, and in order to finance his war for taking back the Dalmatian towns from Venice, he pawned 13 towns of Szepes County to Poland, together with the castle of Ólubló, in 1412. Although the pawn was only planned for the short term, finally it lasted until 1772. The Poles governed the pawned towns of Szepes from this castle. The famous Hungarian traveler Benyovszky Móric, who was elected King of Madagascar by the native inhabitants of the island in 1776, was imprisoned here for some time."},{"id":"23","name":"Bazin","localname":"Pezinok","seolink":"bazin-pezinok","gps_lat":"48.2863770000","gps_long":"17.2698570000","population":"23","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The small town at the foot of the Little Carpathians was originally a mining settlement. Later in the 16th century German settlers arrived and they made it a major wine-producing region. It quickly became rich due to its excellent wines and it was granted the status of a free royal town. Its castle was built by the Bazini and Szentgyörgyi family in the 13th century. It was turned into a Renaissance castle by the Illésházy family at the beginning of the 17th century, and Pálffy János, a member of the extremely wealthy Hungarian aristocratic family, renovated it at the beginning of the 20th century."},{"id":"24","name":"Modor","localname":"Modra","seolink":"modor-modra","gps_lat":"48.3357020000","gps_long":"17.3110980000","population":"9","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":" As early as 1326, it was recorded that the inhabitants of the town at the foot of the Little Carpathians were engaged in viticulture, no wonder that this region has long been famous for its excellent wines. Nothing proves this better than the fact that there is a vine on the right field of its ancient coat of arms. It was granted the status of free royal town in the early 17th century and it was surrounded by walls, some sections of which and one town gate can still be seen. Its inhabitants converted to the Lutheran faith during the Reformation and established a grammar school. The Lutheran presence was so strong that the town became an episcopal seat in 1741. It also became famous for its majolica manufactory, founded in 1883, which can be visited. You cannot reach Modor by train. In 1838, when the horse-drawn railway connecting Pozsony with Nagyszombat was in the planning phase, the representative body of the town of Modor protested, arguing that the railway spreads immorality and sin, so the railway eventually avoided the city. Thirty years later, when the horse-drawn railway was converted into a steam railway, the Modorians offered 60,000 gold to lay the track closer to their city, but their request was not granted."},{"id":"45","name":"Korpona","localname":"Krupina","seolink":"korpona-krupina","gps_lat":"48.3540900000","gps_long":"19.0666060000","population":"8","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town was founded by Saxon miners from Transylvania in the valley of the Korpona stream at the foot of the Selmec Mountains. Later it got Slovakized as a result of the devastation of wars. It was the seat of Hont County within Hungary until the late 17th century. Prince Bocskai István of Transylvania, who led an uprising against the tyranny of the Habsburg king, held the country assembly of Hungary in the town in 1605, which decided on the terms of peace and the famous diploma was also issued here that emancipated the hajdú soldiers from the jurisdiction of their lords, granted them land and personal freedom."},{"id":"19","name":"Nagymihály","localname":"Michalovce","seolink":"nagymihaly-michalovce","gps_lat":"48.7576340000","gps_long":"21.9230600000","population":"39","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is situated on the bank of the Laborc River near the artificial Wide Lake south of the Vihorlát Mountains. The agricultural town became the center of the Sztáray estate and Count Sztáray Imre, ispán of Ung County, constructed a Baroque manor house in the 17th century on the site of the former castle built after the Mongol Invasion. The Sztáray family had to flee from the invading Sovjet horde in 1944. Now their former manor house hosts the Museum of Zemplén, since the town once belonged to Zemplén County. In the 18th century Slavs and Jews migrated to the town. The majority spoke Hungarian as their mother tongue when the town was attached from Hungary to the newly created Czechoslovakia. The Hungarian and German inhabitants were displaced by the Czechoslovaks after 1945."},{"id":"20","name":"Homonna","localname":"Humenné","seolink":"homonna-humenne","gps_lat":"48.9376620000","gps_long":"21.9082400000","population":"33","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is located on the bank of the Laborc River at the foot of the Vihorlát Mountains. Its history is strongly tied to the Drugeth family, who even took the noble surname Homonnay. Their ancestors arrived to Hungary as the followers of Charles Robert, later King Charles I, who granted them the land as a fief. Homonnai Drugeth Bálint was the talented commander of Prince Bocskai István of Transylvania during his uprising against the Habsburg tyranny. But after the Estates of Transylvania rejected him to be the new Prince, he swore loyalty to the Habsburgs. The Polish mercenary army recruited by Homonnay Drugeth György played a key role in that Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania finally did not capture Vienna in 1619 during the Thirty Years' War. The notable family got extinct in 1684, when Prince Thököly Imre of Upper Hungary beheaded the traitor Homonnay Drugeth Zsigmond. Their former castle, which was turned to French Baroque style by the Andrássy family, is now occupied by the Museum of Vihorlát Mountains."},{"id":"38","name":"Breznóbánya","localname":"Brezno","seolink":"breznobanya-brezno","gps_lat":"48.8066450000","gps_long":"19.6434670000","population":"21","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The little town is situated in the valley of the Garam River between the Low Tatras and the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains. It was founded by Germans invited to Hungary after the devastations of the Mongol Invasion. It became famous for its gold, silver and iron mining. On April 30, 1517, a tragedy struck the town. The lords of Zólyomlipcse Castle, the Nagylucseis, attacked Breznóbánya because of a debate on property. They looted the church and set the parish on fire, where the burghers of the town sought asylum. King Louis II of Hungary sentenced them to death and confiscation of property, but the judgment could not be executed because of the weak royal power. In 1621 the town supporting Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania valiantly resisted the Imperial siege, but finally it was plundered. The iron industry flourished in the town from the 18th century, and its industrial character was also dominant in the 20th century."},{"id":"36","name":"Aranyosmarót","localname":"Zlaté Moravce","seolink":"aranyosmarot-zlate-moravce","gps_lat":"48.3833410000","gps_long":"18.3955190000","population":"12","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town on the banks of the Zsitva stream, close to the mountains, was mentioned for the first time in 1075. During the era of the House of Árpád, the Cumans living here washed gold from the sand of the Zsitva stream. By the early 18th century, it had become famous for its cloth industry. In 1779 the estate was acquired by Migazzi Kristóf, Archbishop of Vienna and Bishop of Vác, which brought prosperity. Soon it became the seat of Bars County. In the late 19th century the railway reached the town. A brewery, a sugar factory, a brick factory and a steam mill were established, but the textile industry and the carpet manufacturing were also started. The Museum of Bars (today Museum of Nyitra Region) was opened in 1896 for the Millennium of Hungary. In December 1918 the Czechoslovak Legion invaded the town. During the counter-offensive in June 1919, the local inhabitants also took up the fight against the invaders, but they faced a bloody retaliation and the Hungarian leaders were executed. The Trianon Dictate finally took the mostly Hungarian-inhabited town from Hungary and the Hungarians were displaced."},{"id":"9","name":"Alsókubin","localname":"Dolný Kubín","seolink":"alsokubin-dolny-kubin","gps_lat":"49.2086860000","gps_long":"19.2958100000","population":"19","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is situated on the bank of the Árva River surrounded by mountains. It took its name from the Kylfings, a Scandinavian people, who arrived in the Carpathian Basin with the Hungarians, and who were settled down in the area by Grand Prince Taksony to guard the border. The settlement gained town status through its owner Illésházy Gáspár in 1632. After 50 years it became the seat of Árva County and remained so until 1920, when it was attached from Hungary to Czechoslovakia."},{"id":"39","name":"Dobsina","localname":"Dobšiná","seolink":"dobsina-dobsina","gps_lat":"48.8204440000","gps_long":"20.3658450000","population":"6","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town surrounded by the Gömör-Szepes Ore Mountains was founded by Saxon miners in 1326. Gold, silver, nickel, later iron, copper, cobalt and mercury was mined in its neighborhood. In the 17th century Dobsina became a regional center of the iron industry, where arms were also manufactured. The first iron smelter of Hungary was also built here in 1680. The mines and forges were closed by the late 19th century. In 1919, the bust of Kossuth Lajos, the political leader of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence in 1848, was destroyed by the Czechoslovak army, which occupied the town mostly inhabited by Germans and Hungarians. In 1945 the invading Czechoslovak army deported the German and Hungarian inhabitants of the town. At the railway station of Prerov, Bohemia, drunken Czechoslovak soldiers brutally massacred 265 deported German and Hungarian civilians from Dobsina, who were waiting for their train to return home. The famous Dobsina Ice Cave discovered in 1870 can be found in its vicinity. The villa of one of the discoverers, Ruffinyi Jenő, is currently left abandoned in the town."},{"id":"40","name":"Nagytapolcsány","localname":"Topoľčany","seolink":"nagytapolcsany-topolcany","gps_lat":"48.5597230000","gps_long":"18.1745390000","population":"25","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town in the valley of the Nyitra River was founded by German settlers in the 12th century, and it later rose to the rank of free royal town. Several aristocratic families owned it afterwards, the Turks plundered it more than once, and fire and cholera epidemic also devastated the settlement. The estate was purchased by the Stummer family in 1868, who established a modern sugar factory in the town. In December 1918, Czechoslovaks invaded the town, and they displaced the Hungarian and German inhabitants after 1945. Its most important attraction is the Baroque Church of the Assumption built on the site of a 13th century church."},{"id":"35","name":"Privigye","localname":"Prievidza","seolink":"privigye-prievidza","gps_lat":"48.7719840000","gps_long":"18.6235230000","population":"48","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is situated in the valley of the Nyitra River, surrounded by mountains. It was first mentioned in 1113. In the late 14th century it gained town privileges from Queen Mary of Hungary, by that time had become rich from gold mining. In 1653 the widow of the landowner Pálffy Pál invited Jesuit and Piarist monks to the town. The Piarists established a monastery, a library and a grammar school. In the 18th century the town was attached to the lordship of Bajmóc and lost its privileges. Bajmóc Castle can be found in its neighborhood, which was transformed into Neo-gothic style on the model of the French castles of the Loire Valley at the turn of the 20th century on the instructions of Pálffy János, who also made most of the plans."},{"id":"43","name":"Csaca","localname":"Čadca","seolink":"csaca-cadca","gps_lat":"49.4380070000","gps_long":"18.7896920000","population":"24","picture":"download","picture_ref":"","description":"The town is situated in the northwestern corner of the country near the Czech and Polish borders surrounded by mountains. It dates back to the 15th century, when vlach shepherds were settled in the area. The St. Bartholomew Church was built in the first half of the 18th century with the support of Erdődy György. Empress Maria Theresia granted it town status in 1778. On 7 November, 1918 the Czechoslovak Legion broke into Hungary through the Jablunka Pass and invaded Csaca. The Hungarian counter-attack starting on November 12 drove the Czechs out of Hungary. Afterwards the naive Entente-friendly Károlyi Mihály came to power in Hungary with a revolution, who dismissed the military and forbade any resistance, which rendered the country defenseless. The Czechs were then able to occupy the northern part of Hungary without hindrance, which ultimately led to the creation of Czechoslovakia."}]}