Hlohovec

Hlohovec (Freistadt(l) an der Waag, Hungarian Galgóc) is a town in southwestern Slovakia, with a population of 23,029.

History
The first written evidence of its existence is from 1113, when a town with the name Galgocz was mentioned in the so-called Second Zobor Document. In 1362 Hlohovec obtained town privileges. Ottoman troops captured city and annexed it to the sanjak of Uyvar as the Holok eyalet in 1663. Austrian troops retook it in 1685.

Landmarks
The dominant building is a Renaissance-Baroque castle built in 1720. The castle is built on the place of a pre-existing Slavic settlement and a medieval castle. In the castle area is the Empire theatre built in 1802, a riding school from the 18th century, and a Baroque garden pavilion.

In the middle of St. Michael Square stands the Gothic church of St. Michael with its highly decorated portal. Next to the church is the Chapel of Saint Anna from the 18th century. In the northern border of the central part of the town is the Franciscan church and monastery built in 1492. Part of the monastery premises nowadays occupies the Museum of National History and Geography.

The most visited and beautiful natural part of town is the castle park with its lake, French terraces, and rare wood-species, especially old sycamore trees.

Demographics
According to the 1910 census the town had 7749 inhabitants: 5645 Slovaks 1401 Hungarians and 667 Germans. According to the 2001 census, the town had 23,729 inhabitants. 97.85% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 0.72% Roma and 0.63% Czechs. The religious make-up was 79.58% Roman Catholics, 14.85% people with no religious affiliation and 2.44% Lutherans.

Famous people

 * Peter Burian (b. 1959), diplomat
 * Ján Hollý (1785-1849), writer

Twin towns — Sister cities
Hlohovec is twinned with:
 * De Panne, Belgium
 * Hranice, Czech Republic
 * Slovenske Konjice, Slovenia