ŠOMOŠKA CASTLE

Šomoška Castle built of unconventional hexagonal basalt columns is unique among the Slovak castles. Its scenic beauty ranks it among the most beautiful castles in Slovakia.

It is located on the Hungarian border above the Hungarian village Somoskő. The castle was built in the early 14th century by Kacsics Dynasty. In 1323 King Charles-Robert donated castle to Thomas Széczényi. During his era, the castle was a bustling centre of social life.

The original base of the castle was a building that with a wall closed the relatively small triangular courtyard. In the 15th century, when firearms expanded they were built into the castle to a peak of triangular bastion. In the west it was a huge round cannon bastion, in the south a horseshoe-shaped bastion and at the north a round entrance bastion. During ongoing threat of Turkish attacks in the 17th century, a terrace for gunnery was built.

Currently Šomoška is declared as National Natural Reservation. In addition to romantic medieval castle here you can find also Slovak unique, so called Stone waterfall and stone sea.

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