lang="EN">Banska Bystrica
is situated in the Hron River valley (Slovak: Pohronie). The Hron River curves through the city
from the east to the south. The city nests among three mountain chains: the Low
Tatras to the north-east, the Veľká Fatra to the north-west, and the Kremnica
Mountains to the west. All three are protected areas because of their
environmental value. Banska Bystrica hosts the headquarters of the Low Tatra
National Park. Despite the proximity of these mountain ranges, the local
landscape is dominated by the much lower Urpín Mountain, 510 meters
(1,673 ft), which is a popular place of recreation
