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 in 1385.

Gothic architecture of the castle built between 1360 and 1382 was inspired by Italian castles of the 14th century. Italian masons also contributed to a Renaissance reconstruction in 1548. The last major reconstruction occurred in 1784, when the chapel was rebuilt into the Baroque style.

Zvolen Castle hosts a regional branch of the Slovak National Gallery with an exposition of old European masters, including works by P. P. Rubens, Paolo Veronese, and William Hogarth. There is also a popular tea room located in the castle.

Permanent exhibition

Icons in Slovakia

Exposure on the 1st floor begins inspection of the Icon Collections of SNG. Its content is the heritage of medieval Byzantine painting, especially in the area of Slovakia of the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic communities on north-eastern and eastern Slovakia.

Gothic art

The exposition on the ground floor of Zvolen Castle is compiled according to several criteria. It was built as a series of relatively independent exhibition space.

European painting in 16th - 19th century

Open depository collection of old European painting SNG was created due to the planned reconstruction of the building in Bratislava. By displaying 200 paintings by old masters the changes in artistic expression during three centuries in the historical centres of significant importance are presented.

Opening hours