Castles, chateaus in Slovakia
Accommodation in SlovakiaList of tourist attractions in Slovakia
Bojnice Castle
Bojnice Castle belongs to the most beautiful and the most visited castles in Central Europe. It is sought after by many visitors from all around the world. The castle is towering at the foot of Strazov Uplands on a travertine hill above the town Bojnice. It is one of the oldest and the most important castles in Slovakia. The first written note of its existence comes back to 1113, it was found in a document of Zobor abbey. Bojnice Castle is a national culture heritage and a residence of museum. There are culture and social events held in the area of the castle, e.g. concerts of classical music...
ORAVA CASTLE
Large and well-preserved castle is towering on a steep limestone hill right by the village at 112 metres over the level of the river Orava, about 10 kilometres from Dolny Kubin. The castle is a national culture heritage. Orava Castle, before the centre of Orava area, was founded in the 13th century on the place of older settlement. The oldest historical notes of it come back to the year before 1235 when it had been the king's property. Orava Castle together with the surrounded Orava lands were alternately property of royals and rich squires. The Thurzos turned the castle into a today's...
BRATISLAVA CASTLE
This majestic castle is towering on a rocky spur of the Male Carpathy massif, 85 metres above the level of the river Danube forming panorama of Slovak capital city. Its history comes back to the time of Celts and Romans. The castle hill was an important place especially for the fact it was on the crossroads of important business routes, it was protected by the massive river from one side and by deep forests of the Male Carpathy from the other. A person, who built the fortification, knew how important the crossing over the river was and he was the whole area owner. This massive rectangular block...
Cachtice Castle
The Čachtice castle hill has been settled already in the prehistoric age. It is proved by findings of various objects that were excavated directly on the courtyards of the castle or nearby the walls. The castle perks on the dolomite hill above the village of Višňové. The first written reference about the castle has been preserved from 1276, when it belonged among the royal frontier fortresses. It was shortly owned also by Matthew Czak from Trenčín. In 1392, Ctibor from Ctiborice became its owner. After that the castle has changed its owners very frequently, until it has been gained by the...
Dubnica Mansion
Dubnica Mansion, one of the most valuable historical buildings in Slovakia, is a cultural monument standing in Dubnica nad Vahom. Four-wing building of the chateau with a Renaissance core is located next to the Church of St. James and the Jan Baltazar Magin Park. Mansion was built in the 40-ies of the 17th century. Currently the town museum, gallery and Tourist Information Centre house in the premises of Dubnica Manor House. The museum has a history nature, focusing on the mansion, Ileshazi family and history of the city and the region. In the adjacent park you will find further monuments -...
Cerveny Kamen Castle
This massive castle in good conditions is situated on quartzite hill in the village of Casta, about 30 kilometres from Bratislava on the way to Pezinok. Original king's castle from the 13th century was a part of border forts of western frontier with Hungary. In the 16th century it became the property of Thurzo family and from 1535 it belonged to the Fuggers - one of the richest European magnates and financiers. The castle went through several amendments and rebuilts. There are high vaulted cellars built. They are 72 metres long and 9 metres high - the largest in Central Europe. Till 1845 the...
DEVÍN CASTLE
The castle hill has been settled already in the 5th century B.C., the oldest part of the today´s castle dates back to the 13th century. In 1809 the castle was destroyed, since the 60s of the 20th century the reconstruction of the castle and archaeological research began. At present, there are expositions here and exhibitions of the City Museum of Bratislava. Tel.: +421/2/54 43 47 42 Open: April-October, Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m.. Devín (German: Theben, Hungarian: Dévény), originally a separate town at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, is now a borough of Bratislava,...
ĽUPČA Castle
The castle was founded before 1250 and was originally used by king's family as a hunting residence. Later the castle changed the owners who adjusted it into their needs. Many additional and rebuilt parts show the evidence of it. While amendment work in the 17th century the courtyard was supplemented by arcades and arches in the rooms were changed. At that period the castle was residence of Lupca nobility. The property was changed into an orphanage after the fire in 1860, and during the last regime there were nuns placed in the castle. Thanks to continuous use of the castle it has survived in...
BETLIAR Chateau
This chateau is a dominant object of Betliar village, which is located 10 kilometres on the North of the district town of Roznava. History of the chateau is connected with two important yeoman and noble families - the Bebeks and the Andrassys. The Bebeks built the core of the chateau in the 15th century. Later, in the beginning of the 18th century it became one of many noble residences of Andrassy family and it stayed that way until 1945. The chateau was rebuilt several times during its existence. In the end of the 19th century there was a large Classicist reconstruction. It got today's...
Stará Ľubovňa Castle
Frontier castle from the 14th century several times rebuilt. Today there is a residence of Lubovnianske Museum. In outer bailey of the castle there is an open-air museum of folk architecture of North-eastern Slovakia. Expositions: Castle history Ľubomírsky Palace - stylish furniture Chapel - sacral arts Lapidary Prison Apartment of the castle-keeper Carriages Open: May-September, daily 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. October-April, Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Spis Castle
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...
Trenčín Castle
Trencin Castle is built on a high limestone hill; it dominates Trencin town and surrounding area. It was founded in a place of fortified settlement, which must have been fortified and equipped with castle objects because it had already been the king's guard castle in the 11th century. Romans had already appreciated the advantageous position of the locality close to Carpathian passes and Vah fords. The evidence of it can be seen in a famous sign on the castle rock from 179 A.D. This commemorative note remembers victory of Caesar Marcus Aurelius and his stepson Commod over Kvads in 179 A.D....
Zvolen Castle
Zvolen Castle (Slovak: Zvolenský zámok) is a medieval castle located on a hill near the center of Zvolen, in central Slovakia. The original seat of the region was above the confluence of Slatina and Hron rivers on a steep cliff in a castle from the 12th century, known today as Pustý hrad (meaning "Deserted castle"). Its difficult access had consequence in relocation of the seat to the new-built Zvolen castle, which was ordered by Louis I the Great as a hunting residence of Hungarian kings. The future queen regnant Mary of Hungary and emperor Sigismund celebrated their wedding there...
BUDATIN Castle
Budatin Castle is a historical and architectonical site in Zilina. It was built in the second half of the 13th century. In past it used to be a water castle protected by river streams and water dams. The oldest part of the castle is residential Romanesque tower used by Matus Cak Trenciansky. In the beginning of the 14th century during his reign the tower was fortified and one-wing castle was built. After 1545 the castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style and later amended with Baroque changes. The most famous owners of the castle were the Szunyoghs. During their ownership 1487-1798 the castle went...
Bytča Manor house
Renaissance mansion in the city centre of Bytča is one of the most important and architecturally most impressive feudal settlements in Slovakia. The National Cultural Monument consists of a Renaissance palace so-called Wedding Palace as well as economic and residential buildings. Originally there was a small castle built in the 13th century, belonging to the Bishopric of Nitra. In 1563 Francis Turzo took possession of the Bytča estate together with the castle. He built on the site of an old Gothic castle new castle - fortified complex multi-functional structures in the years 1571- 74. In the...
Csáky's Castle
Csáky's castle in Prievoz (older Csákys manor house) is a manor house that Count Eugen Csáky had built as his summer residence near Bratislava, probably in 1902. The building is from a period of ripening romanticism, but shows elements of eclecticism and has an irregular disposition. In 1916, Pavol Žolnajov sold out individual parts of the french garden originally belonging to the manor house. In 1933 the building together with a small part of the park were bought by the nuns of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi, they established a monastery in the mansion and...
Csáky`s chateau Bijacovce
Csáky's mansion dating from the 1880s is the largest monument in the village of Bijacovce. It was built immediately after the Spiš Castle burnt down and is a typical late Baroque or Rococo-Classicist residential building located in the middle of a flat park. In 2002 it was declared a cultural monument and the grounds of the mansion, which consists of a park, farm yard, east and west gate, granary and fountain.
Filakovo Castle
Filakovo Castle was a medieval castle whose ruins are overlooking the town Fiľakovo. The first written mention of the castle is from 1242, where it says that the castle resisted Tartar invasions. It has several owners, including Matthew III Csák. In the 12th century, the original castle consists of square tower, perimeter wall with the palace on the southwest side and probably mound with palisades. During the reconstruction in 1551 the castle was expanded to the middle castle with a pair of massive pentagonal bastions. Lower Castle was provided by three polygonal bastions, and two tower gates...
HALIČ CASTLE
The HALIČ CASTLE dating from 1612 is the dominant feature of the village of Halič. It is situated on a lonely wooded hill. The view of the chateau is cut out of a fairy tale and the view from the windows of the chateau is magnificent. You can see 15 surrounding villages and, with good visibility, also some peaks of the High Tatras. The castle forest park has an area of 13 hectares with an artificial lake. The beginnings of Halič Castle date back to the 12th century - it is stated that there was a ground fortress. The Halič castle estate belonged to the Tomajov family, then the Lossonczy...