Bánovce nad Bebravou

Bánovce nad Bebravou (German: Banowitz, Hungarian: Bán) is a town in Slovakia, in the Trenčín Region. It is located at the northernmost edge of the Danubian Hills, at the foothills of the Strážovské vrchy mountains at the confluence of the Radiša and Bebrava rivers. It is 25 km away from Prievidza, 30 km from Trenčín and 50 km from Nitra. The oldest settlement stems from the Bronze Age. The eldest inscription mentioning the city as villa Ben dates back to 1232. The town was promoted in 1376 into free royal town. In the Middle Ages, Bánovce became an important trade centre - for shoemakers, carpenters, smiths, butchers, weavers and others. In 1633, the Ottomans encroaching from the south plundered the town. The first elementary school...