Starý Tekov

Starý Tekov, formerly Bars, lies on the Hron where the river divides from its branch, the Perec. An earthwork castle here was a royal administrative centre and gave its name to Tekov County. The settlement is recorded in 1075, and its inhabitants received privileges in the thirteenth century. The castle's lands later passed to the lordship of Levice. In 1608 and 1609 Calvinist synods met at Tekov, adding a religious chapter to its long local history.