Žilina

Žilina (German: Sillein, Hungarian: Zsolna) is a city in northwestern Slovakia.

 Geography 
The city is located in the northwestern Slovakia, at the confluence of Váh, Kysuca and Rajčanka rivers. It is surrounded by numerous mountains ranges, for example Lesser Fatra, Strážov Mountains and many others.

 History 
People have lived here since the Neolithic age. The Slavs started to move here in the 5th century. German colonists started to live here since the 13th century. When the Hussites burned the city down, it declined it for some time. It regained its position in the 19th century, when it became an important railway junction. Today, it is the fifth largest town in Slovakia and the third most important industrial centre in Slovakia.

 Population 

 Ethnic composition 

 Religion 

 Sights 
The centre of the city is the Mariánske námestie, with the city hall, baroque statue of the Virgin Mary and so on. Other sights include:

 The Budatín Castle
 Wooden church of St. George (one of the few outside north-eastern Slovakia)
 Church of St. Stephen the King
 Orthodox synagogue

 Economy 
Žilina is the main industrial and business centre of the Váh river. The biggest employer is the Kia Motors company, which invested here 1 billion dollars and created 3000 work positions.

 Twin towns 
  Bielsko-Biała, Poland
  Corby, England
  Ferrara, Italy
  Changchun, China
  Maykop, Russia
  Nanterre(part of Paris), France
  Piatra Neamţ, Romania

References

 Other websites 
 Official site
 Photo gallery of Žilina
 Žilina information 

Category:Cities in Slovakia
Category:Žilina Region