Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj), castles, chateaus

Massive ruins of Spis Castle are lying on the travertine hill of 634 metres above Spis settlement around the castle. The ruins are the largest in Slovakia as well as in Central Europe. Although the first historical notes about the castle come back to the year 1120, archaeological evidence proves a settlement on the castle hill already in the 4th century BC. It was a district centre castle in the 12th century. In the first half of the 13th century there were protective stone forts around the castle acropolis. The fortification saved the castle against Tartars attacks in 1241. In that time Romanesque...