Zwoleń is a historic town with a Gothic-Renaissance castle housing a painting gallery. There is also a picturesque arboretum and the Museum of Forest and Timber.
The city was founded on the trade route leading from Hungary towards Kraków. It developed thanks to the protection of Hungarian kings. The first of the local castles, the Empty Castle, was built in the 12th century. It survived until the middle of the 15th century, when it was burnt down by the troops of Jan Hunyady. The function of the seat of the royal administration was then taken over by the Zwoleń Castle. It is a Gothic-Renaissance building with a large courtyard and sgraffito decorations on the walls. Its interior now houses an art gallery.
Among the monuments of Zvolen there are also the 14th century church of St. Elizabeth and the Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity, as well as numerous tenement houses, mainly with baroque facades. An interesting object is the model of the Hurban armored train from the period of the Slovak Uprising standing under the castle.
The only technical university in Slovakia with a forestry faculty is located in Zvolen. Due to its existence, the Forest and Wood Museum was established here. An interesting attraction of Zolnia is the Borova Hora Arboretum, an extensive dendrological park with vegetation typical of different varieties of the European climate.
