Bojnice

Bojnice (Weinitz; Bajmóc) is a historical town in east Slovakia located on the Nitra river, near the city of Prievidza. The town is situated just below the Bojnice Castle. It has a population of around 5,000.

Bojnice is best known for its popular tourist attractions, among them being the largest zoo in Slovakia and the Bojnice castle, and generally for being one of the oldest spa towns in Slovakia.

Geography
Bojnice lies in the upper Nitra river valley, under the Strážov Mountains. It is located very near the city of Prievidza with which it shares a common public transport system. Other major cities nearby include Žilina 60 kilometres to the north and Trenčín 65 kilometres to the west.

History
The town's history is closely connected to that of Bojnice Castle. The town was first mentioned in writing in 1113, when it was mentioned as a settlement under the castle. Bojnice was granted town privileges in 1366.

Landmarks
The town is most known for the Bojnice Castle, first mentioned in 1113 and originally built as a wooden fort, it was over time built as a stone castle and in the 20th century in the Romantic style. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction. The castle has appeared in many international films and a well-known international festival of spectres takes place there every year. It is built on travertine rock with a natural cave.

The Bojnice zoo was founded in 1955. In 2006 it had 355 different species and more than 1,800 animals.

Bojnice is also known for its spa. The therapeutic springs were mentioned in 1549 for the first time. Today they treat patients with disorders of the locomotor system, with rheumatic diseases, post traumatic conditions, conditions after orthopaedic disturbances of the spine of adolescents, neurological diseases and occupational diseases.

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the town had 5,006 inhabitants. 97.06% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 0.68% Czechs and 0.24% Germans (Carpathian Germans). The religious make-up was 74.55% Roman Catholics, 19% people with no religious affiliation and 2% Lutherans.

Notable people

 * Karina Habšudová, tennis player
 * Miloslav Mečíř, tennis player, Olympic winner
 * Andrej Sekera, Dallas Stars (National Hockey League) defenseman
 * Mirka Vavrinec, tennis player
 * Zuzana Paulechová, classical pianist
 * Antonia Liskova, Italian actress
 * Erika Pochybova Johnson, artist
 * Juraj Kucka, footballer
 * Anna Záborská, Member of the European Parliament
 * Ján Vlasko, slovak footballer

Twin towns — sister cities
Bojnice is twinned with:
 * 🇨🇿 Jeseník, Czech Republic
 * 🇩🇪 Bad Krozingen, Germany
 * 🇮🇹 Rosta, Italy
 * 🇵🇱 Zator, Poland

Genealogical resources
The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Nitra, Slovakia"


 * Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1668-1912 (parish A)