Trenčín is situated in the middle Považie region in the place where Strážovské vrchy and the Biele Karpaty ridge start to diverge from each other, near the important Váh shallow and strategically significant Carpathian mountain passes. The city was originally founded as commercial and toll-collecting station under a medieval castle; however, the history of first settlements in this area goes back to prehistoric times.

Archeological studies have shown that the surroundings of Trenčín formed a significant part of the so-called West-Slovakian Paleolithic. Evidence exists that the Trenčín castle rock and the Brezina woods were places of the únětická and the late maďarovská culturesettlements dating back to the early Bronze Age. Toward the end of the early and the beginning of the late Bronze Age the inhabitants of the lužická culturecame to Považie and started to build fortified units. In Trenčín, such fortified unit was built on the castle rock. Celtic settlement of the North-western Slovakia was represented by the people of the púchovská culture which settled primarily on elevated sites, including the Trenčín castle rock. Besides the bronze jewels of this period, there has also been found the gold coin that may be considered as one of Celtic imitations of the tetra drachmas of Alexander III., the so-called Athéne – Alkis type.

Around the early years of the 1st century the Celts were pushed out by Germanic tribes. Territory of today’s Slovakia was inhabited by the Quadi tribe. As early as in the early Antique period the territory of the latter Trenčín was crossed by one of the off-shoots of the Jasper road, which provided a traffic venue for the Baltic jasper to be transported southward and other luxurious goods to be transported from the Mediterranean territory. The first written account of the city of Trenčín appears in a famous work called Geografia(Geógrafiké hyfegésis) by a Greek author Claudius Ptolemaios(90 – 168 AD) under the name of Leukaristos. Authenticity of this site is proven by a Roman inscription of 179 AD that was inscribed in the rock on the order of the II. Auxiliary Legion legate Marcus Valerius Maximianusin the memory of having spent the winter with troops of this military formation in the number of 855 soldiers in Laugaricio. This is the only inscription from the times of the Romans preserved on our territory “in situ”. Only three Slovak sites are mentioned in historical annals as early as in the 11th century. These are Nitra, Bratislava, and Trenčín. The first mention comes from old Ugrian gesturesof Anonymusthe chronicler and dates back to 1067, mentioning the erection of the Trenčín castle as early as in the 10th century. The Kozmas chroniclementions the escape of a Czech prince Břetislav in 1091 to an Ugrian king Ladislav I., who temporarily accommodated the prince and his people at the site of Baan, not far from the Trenčín castle. An indirect record of Trenčín is also the Legend of St. Svorad and St. Benedict– hermits living in Skalka near Trenčín, by a five-church bishop Maur. Toward the end of the 11th century Trenčín castle became the center of the Vag province– a border district of the recently formed and developing Ugrian kingdom. The most important information source on Trenčín of this period is the so-called Zoborské lettersof the years 1111 and 1113. The letters delineate the territory of the city itself and its surroundings. It is highly probable that is was already Matúš Čák of Trenčín- an Ugrian palatine and famous lord of Váh and Tatras who gave the city its city privileges and made the castle the center of his vast domains taking up the most of today’s Slovakia. The oldest deed issued by Michael, the mayor of Trenčín, dates back to the year 1324. It is probable that it was sealed with the oldest so-far known sealof Trenčín townspeople that has been preserved from a deed dated back to 1381. Further privileges to the city were granted by the king Karol Róbert de Anjou and then in 1402 and 1412 by the Ugrian and Czech king and the emperor Žigmund of Luxembourg. The deed of 1412 contains the privileges of free royal citygranted by the king, such as those used by the townspeople of Budín and Stoličný Belehrad. The city’s fate was closely connected to that of the castle. The first known holder of the Trenčín castle, and the lord king of Trenčín was Martin, around the year 1208. The lord Lodomerius(Vladimír) during the years 1241 - 42 successfully defended the castle against the raids of the Tartars. Then followed the others: Bogomel(Bohumil), Bas, Benedikt, Herrald, Stephen, Erdö, and since 1275, Stephenthe son of Matúš I. Čák. This family held the Trenčín castle until the death of Matúš Čák III. also called of Trenčín. Then the king Robert of Anjou gave the castle to Stibor I. of Stiborice, followed by a short dominion of his son Stibor II.

The rulers also used the Trenčín castle for their diplomatic activities. The king Karol Róbert and his son Ludovít met at the castle in August 24, 1335with the Czech king Jan of Luxembourg accompanied by his son Karol and Polish ruler Kazimír to carry out negotiations that ended a lengthy conflict between Bohemia and Poland. Under the rule of Ludovít the Great, the castle of Trenčín in 1362 became the place of negotiations between the Ugrian and Czech kings and the Roman Emperor Karol IV., that eliminated the danger of war between the Czech and Ugrian kingdoms. As a token of the newly established piece the kings exchanged gifts. Luis gave the Emperor a crystal kettle that was later transferred into the ownership of St. Vit cathedral temple in Prague. Karol IV gave the Ugrian king a silver gold-coated monstrancethat today is stored at the Parish church of Virgin Mary in Trenčín. Later, the holders and owners of the castle were frequently changing until the year 1594, when the castle was acquired by Štefan I. Ilešházi who became the heir and eternal lord of the Trenčianska and Liptovská seat. The first known image of the Trenčín castle and the city of Trenčín – the so called veduta of Viennacomes from the year 1580. It is owned by the Court Chamber Archive in Vienna. Another copy of this veduta is stored in Budapest.

The city of Trenčín lived the times of glory as well as disasters and misfortunes. Under its walls would come and go the armies of the Czechs, Austrians, Turks, Tartars, Bethlen’s and Botchkaj’s hayducks, Kurutzs, German and Valon mercenaries, as well as the armies of the Austrian kings. In 1710 the city was hit by a devastating epidemic of plague that reduced the number of inhabitants by one half. A reminder of this catastrophe is the Plague Column of the Holy Trinityat the Mierové námestie. Another plague came to Trenčín in 1716. A great fire of 1790 not only affected the city and severely damaged the Parish church, but also put an end to the existence of the castle as a military fort.

Trenčín, being the seat of the Trenčianska zupa (= district) in the second half of the 18th century acquired the District houseserving as a meeting place of different zupa congregations and offices for the zupa officers. Today, this Terezian Baroque facility is the home to the Trenčianske museumand its ample collections. Next to the museum is a historic building of the Hotel Tatra, with the original name “Elisabeth”, constructed in 1904 under the Earl Armin Popper. In 1437, the city of Trenčín already mentions the position of the rector of municipal school, in 1649 the Jesuit gymnasium (= grammar school) and later, Trenčín Trenčín 14 15 in 1776, taken over by the Piarists. The school has continued its several timesinterrupted existence up to this day. Since the late 18th century there was also the Jewish people’s school. At the beginning of the 20th century a state grammar school was established that has continued its operation up to this day. In the second half of the 20th century, a number of high schools were opened, including textile, nursing, and construction high schools. Business Academy was established under the 1st Czechoslovak Republic. Cultural life of the city of Trenčín was very much influenced by the book pressfounded in 1637 by a Czech exulant Václav Vokál. The press, under its changing owners, was operating until 1665. Since the beginning of the 20th century there were two book presses in Trenčín: the book press of L. Gansel and F.X. Skarnitzl. Industrial businesses were starting in Trenčín since the late 19th century. The 1900s experienced mainly the boom of food processing, textile, and machinery industry. An alcohol refinery was built and in 1905 followed the First slivovica and cognac producing plant, predecessors of today’s Old Herold. Today’s Merina plant was built in 1907 by the Tiberghien brothers from a north French city of Tourcoing as a woolprocessing plant.A textile plant Neheraestablished between the wars now exists under the name Ozeta. The exhibition business has also a long tradition in Trenčín.

Long and sorrowful, but also joyful was the journey of Trenčín until it reached its today’s image. It is a significant industrial center of the middle Považie region, the center of education and culture with important historical traditions. Athletes having their origins in Trenčín sports clubs often become significant figures at major international competitions. Over the last time period the city has grown to be more beautiful and its historical center, thanks to reconstructed and readjusted monuments, has experienced a longed-for revival. Trenčín, the seat of the district and region, today belongs to the significant Slovak cities with rich cultural and social life