Hron

For the Slovakian wine grape, see Hron (grape).

This article is about the River Hron. For the Rector of Prag-Suchdol, see Jan Hron.

Hron
River
The Hron near Starý Tekov
Country	Slovakia
Regions	Banská Bystrica, Nitra
Source	Hron
- location	Kráľova hoľa near Telgárt, Low Tatras, Banská Bystrica Region
- elevation	980 m (3,215 ft)
Mouth	Danube River
- location	Kamenica nad Hronom, Nitra Region
- elevation	112 m (367 ft)
Length	298 km (185 mi)
Basin	5,453 km2 (2,105 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	53.7 m3/s (1,896 cu ft/s)
- max	1,050 m3/s (37,080 cu ft/s)
- min	7.6 m3/s (268 cu ft/s)

Hron (Slovak: Hron, German: Gran, Hungarian: Garam, Latin: Granus) is a 298-kilometre (185 mi) long left tributary of the Danube and the second longest river in Slovakia. It flows from its source located in the Low Tatra mountains (under Kráľova hoľa) through central and southern Slovakia, pouring into the Danube near Štúrovo and Esztergom. Major cities and towns situated on the Hron are Brezno, Banská Bystrica, Sliač, Zvolen, Žiar nad Hronom, Žarnovica, Nová Baňa, Tlmače, Levice, Želiezovce, and Štúrovo.

The river's basin covers approximately 11 percent of Slovakia's territory.

History

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. The first recorded medieval name was Gron (1075). From the 17th century until the 1930s, the river was used for wood transport.