Zilina
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Turist information
History
Since the early Middle Ages, Žilina had all conditions to become a centre of north-west Slovakia. It had a favourable location, lying on intersection of important roads and three rivers. The first written reference to Žilina is dated of 1208. The area around the today’s square, with a guard castle and with a Slavic village and the Church of the Holy Trinity existing there as an extramural settlement at least since the 13th century, constituted the centre of the future town. In the town surrounding, there were 6 smaller villages, with the Church of St. Stephen the King built around 1230 as their religious centre. With a development of crafts and trade in this area, the assumptions were created for genesis of a town establishment. The town was established at the end of the 13th century, after the arrival of German visitors from the Polish town Těšín (Cieszyn). The town obtained the first privilege from the Árpáds around 1290. The first reference to Žilina as a town is dated in 1312. The first preserved town privilege, granted by the King Robert, is dated in 1321. At that time, Žilina became a royal property again. The town became a centre of crafts, trade and legal centre for wide area of communities of the north-western Slovakia, governed by the laws of Žilina (Germany). Citizens of Žilina established many communities in the Váh region (Považie), Pohľad na dnešné Mariánske námestie od radniceTuriec region and Kysuce region. That way, they contributed to completion of settlement of this part of Slovakia. The Žilina legal circuit was the biggest one in Slovakia. In Žilina as well, there was a hereditary reeve who, besides the ownership of lands at Frambor quarter, obtained since 1352 the town Krásno nad Kysucou with a territory up to frontiers with Poland and Moravia
Location and climate
Žilina is located in the valley of the Váh river, in the Žilina Basin, at the confluence of the Váh river with its tributaries Kysuca and Rajčanka. The Žilina Basin is surrounded by the mountain ranges of Malá Fatra (Lesser Fatra), Strážovské vrchy (Strážov Hills), Súľovské vrchy (Súľov Hills), Javorníky and Kysucká vrchovina (Kysuce Highlands).
Tourist attractions
Žilina is a seat of various cultural institutions, several of them having the international program and activities: Žilina State Chamber Orchestra, Žilina Puppet Theatre and Žilina City Theatre, Žilina Považie Museum, Považie Art Gallery in Žilina, open cultural space for contemporary art Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, Považie Observatory in Žilina, Regional Library in Žilina, House of Matica Slovenská, Regional Cultural Centre in Žilina, Žilina Centrum Cinema, Žilina Cinemax Cinema, and the platform of non-profit organizations with a cultural overlap.
