The Hron (Slovak: Hron; German: Gran; Hungarian: Garam; Latin: Granus) is a 271-kilometre (168 mi) long left tributary of the Danube[1] and the second-longest river in Slovakia. It flows from its source in the Low Tatra Mountains (below Kráľova hoľa) through central and southern Slovakia, emptying into the Danube near Štúrovo and Esztergom. Major cities and towns on the Hron are Brezno, Banská Bystrica, Sliač, Zvolen, Žiar nad Hronom, Žarnovica, Nová Baňa, Tlmače, Levice, Želiezovce, and Štúrovo.

Hron
The Hron near Starý Tekov
Current and watershed of the Hron River in Slovakia
Location
CountrySlovakia
RegionBanská Bystrica, Nitra
Physical characteristics
SourceHron
 • locationKráľova hoľa near Telgárt
 • elevation980 m (3,220 ft)
MouthDanube
 • location
Kamenica nad Hronom, Nitra Region
 • elevation
112 m (367 ft)
Length271 km (168 mi)
Basin size5,465 km2 (2,110 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average53.7 m3/s (1,900 cu ft/s)
 • minimum7.6 m3/s (270 cu ft/s)
 • maximum1,050 m3/s (37,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionDanubeBlack Sea
Tributaries 
 • leftSlatina
 • rightZákruty

The river's basin covers 5,465 km2 (2,110 sq mi),[1] which is approximately 11 percent of Slovakia's territory.

Hron is a popular destination of water tourism.

Etymology

edit

The name is probably of Germanic origin; *Granahua: gran – spruce, ahua – water.[2]

History

edit

The name of the river was mentioned for the first time in 170, when Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations at the Hron (Latin: Granus) river.[3] The first recorded medieval name was Gron (1075).[3] From the 17th century until the 1930s, the river was used for wood transport.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Plán manažmentu povodňového rizikavčiastkovom povodí Hrona, p. 38
  2. ^ Krško, Jaromír (2008). Hydronymia povodia Hrona (in Slovak). Banská Bystrica: Univerzita Mateja Bela. p. 81. ISBN 978-80-8083-611-5.
  3. ^ a b Krško, Jaromír (June 2003). "Názvy potokov v Banskej Bystrici a okolí". Bystrický Permon. 1 (2): 8.

47°49′N 18°45′E / 47.817°N 18.750°E / 47.817; 18.750