A report on Pustý hrad, Zvolen Castle and Zvolen

Pustý hrad (Pusztavár) is a castle whose ruins are located on a forested hill in the southern part of Zvolen in central Slovakia.

Zvolen Castle (Zvolenský zámok or incorrectly Zvolenský hrad, zólyomi vár) is a medieval castle located on a hill near the center of Zvolen, in central Slovakia.

The original seat of the region was above the confluence of Slatina and Hron rivers on a steep cliff in a castle from the 12th century, known today as Pustý hrad (meaning "Deserted castle").

The original name was Zvolen Castle or Old Zvolen (Zólyom); Pustý hrad (meaning "deserted castle") is a much later name used to distinguish the ruin from the present-day Zvolen Castle.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, Pustý hrad, was constructed.

Later, King Louis I the Great built a new castle, which became a popular hunting resort of the Hungarian kings.