CASTLES, CHATEAUX AND MANORS

Castles, chateaux and manors in Slovak regions:

B R A T I S L A V A    r e g i o n

BRATISLAVA - castle

City: Bratislava
District: Bratislava
Region: Bratislava
Tourist Region: Bratislava

The characteristic shape of "a table upside-down", which dominated to ancient vedutes as well as to contemporary views on Bratislava, the hrad obtained in the 17th century. Though, the hrad reef on the left bank of the river Danube remembers much more than this. The later Stone Age as well as the Great Morava basilica, or the famous era of the late Gothic. The hrad became the residence of Hungarian kings, who were banished from Buda by Turkish army. After the reconstruction in 1751 - 1768 it became the seat of emperors. In 1811 the old hrad burned out. New history of the hrad started as late as in 1953, when arrangements were adopted to reconstruct it from the ruins (1956 - 1968). After rebuilding the hrad obtained the former appearance as of the so called Theresian redesign towards the end of the 18th century. Expositions at the Bratislava hrad contain rare pieces of Slovak national history from its beginning to these days including a valuable collection of coins and archeological memorabilities (Venusa from Moravany, scrap of a Neanderthal man scull from Sala and others). After the reconstruction in 1751 - 1768 it became an Imperial residence.

DEVIN castle

City: Bratislava- Devin
District: Bratislava
Region: Bratislava
Tourist Region: Bratislava

Grandiose ruins of the fortress above the confluence of the rivers Danube and Morava is one of the most important sites in Slovakia. Devin ranks among the longest recorded hrads in Slovakia. In Fuldic annals, 864 A. D., it is mentioned as "Dovina". The past and the settlement of its area is though by far ancient (the Stone Age, Celts, Romans). It was destroyed ultimately by Napoleon army, who blew it into air in 1809. Archaeological exposition shows findings from field work.

Chateaux MODRA

Manor-house with an orchard, exposition of viticulture accompanied with wine tasting.

Chateaux PEZINOK

Former medieval manor, refurbished to a mansion with a vast park and a style wine-cellar. Originally a medieval manor, reconstructed.

CERVENY KAMEN castle

City: near Pila
District: Pezinok
Region: Bratislava
Tourist Region: Bratislava

BUDMERICE - Chateaux

Manor-house from the 19th century in pseudostyles of romanticising, today the Home of Slovak writers; accommodation

T R N A V A    r e g i o n

DOLNA KRUPA - Chateaux

The Classicism manor-house was visited by Beethoven and it is said that some of his compositions originated here; Music museum.

SMOLENICE - zamok

City: Smolenice
District: Trnava
Region: Trnava
Tourist Region: Trnavsko

After a fire in the beginning of the 19th century the former 14th century guard fortress was in the 19th - 20th century essentially redesigned to the today's appearance of a romance domicile of kings and princesses. In present it is utilised by the Slovak Academy of Science for its work and recreation purposes.

MORAVANY NAD VAHOM - Chateaux

The Renaissance manor-house with characteristic bended attic is surrounded with English park decorated with sculptures carved by artists from all over the world during international symposia of plastic art. Now it serves as a Home of Slovak creative artists. Moravany village is a significant archeologic spot made famous by the finding of a sculpture carved from mammoth bone - the Stone Age Venusa from Moravany, with estimated age 22, 800 years. The sculpture is exhibited at the Bratislava hrad museum.

Chateaux GALANTA

Manor-house from the 19th cent, with museum of history, geography and literature.

Chateaux HLOHOVEC

Grandiose Baroque manor-house with an English park and Empire theatre (1802) renewed in the original design

Chateaux SENICA

Late Baroque manor-house, nowadays the headquarters of the Zahorie region Gallery.

N I T R A    r e g i o n

NITRA - hrad

City: Nitra
District: Nitra
Region: Nitra
Tourist Region: Ponitrie

The residence of Nitra earls and Great Morava sovereigns (Pribina and Svatopluk), built in the 9th - 11rh cent., it resisted the invasion of Tartars in 1241 but not the Turkish raid in 1663. After the latter the hrad got basically the present appearance with the colossal walls of Renaissance and Baroque. It has been the headquarters of the Nitra Bishop with a Cathedral and a Bishop Palace.

TOPOLCIANKY - Chateaux

One of the most important manors of Classicism-Empire style in Slovakia, surrounded by a vast English park with plenty of rare foreign trees and bushes. It ranks among the most ample and best preserved. It used to be a summer residence of the Habsburgs as well as of the Czechoslovak Presidents (1923 - 1950). Interior serves for exposition of historical furniture, collection of porcelain and weapons, Turkish salon, and a precious library of more than 14, 000 volumes.

BOJNICE castle

City: Bojnice
District: Prievidza
Region: Nitra
Tourist Region: Ponitrie

The now most visited chateau in Slovakia was owned at the break of the 13th century by a well-known conqueror Matus Cak Trencin. Later it was often changing its owners. The today appearance is the result of a reconstruction at the break of the 19th and 20th centuries, copying the French romantic chateaux on the Loire. It is surrounded by parks with mighty trees. Parks include a ZOO, a botanic garden and a chateau's "private" cave. The interiors of the chateau contain sets of Neo-Gothic features, historic furniture, porcelain, paintings and house complements. One of the original parts of the chateau is the Chapel with wonderful stucco vault and fresco paintings from 1662. Various activities and special programmes take place at the chateau, for example Knight Days or The International Feast of Ghosts and Scarecrows.

More info: www.bojnicehrad.sk

Chateaux DUNAJSKA STREDA

Manor-house in Baroque Rococo style is the establishment of the museum of national history and nature of the Zitny ostrov region.

KOMARNO

City: Komarno
District: Komarno
Region: Nitra
Tourist Region: Podunajsko

Renaissance anti-Turk fortress* with star-redoubt, museum of the Danube region - historical paintings, regional history.

Pevnosť LEVICE

City: Levice
District: Levice
Region: Nitra
Tourist Region: Dolne Pohronie

In the 16th century one of the anti-Turk fortresses, today ocation of the Tekov regional museum with interesting national history collections.

Chateaux MOJMIROVCE

Chateaux TESARSKE MLYNANY

The historical building of the manor is inhabited by the Institute of Dendrobiology of the Slovak Academy of Science which manages the Arboretum Mlynany (61 hectares, approximately 2, 200 species of conifer and deciduous trees and shrubs).

Chateaux TOVARNIKY

A pompous Baroque manor-house with a vast English park.

T R E N C I N    r e g i o n

TRENCIN castle

City: Trencin
District: Trencin
Region: Trencin
Tourist Region: Stredne Povazie

The history of the reef dates back to the Roman Empire, which is evidenced by an inscription saying about the victory of the and Roman legion over Germans at Eaugaritio in 179 A. D. The hrad became a residence of the legendary "Master of the river Vah and Tatra mountains" -Matus Cak, after whom the big tower characteristic for the silhouette of the fortress is named, Trencin museum utilises the interiors for its exhibitions of Regional and focal history, historical furniture, weapons, paintings and other pieces of art, a permanent gallery and archeologic collections and findings.

BECKOV castle

City: Beckov
District: Nove Mesto nad Vahom
Region: Trencin
Tourist Region: Stredne Povazie

Today romantic ruins, in the past a royal frontier guard hrad on a steep rocky reef at merge between the lower and middle flow of the river Vah, had undergone many reconstructions in between the 13th and 16th centuries. The hrad's ability to defend against Turkish raids approved in 1599, when Turks unsuccessfully besieged it. Since the fire in 1729 it has not been inhabited ever more.

BRODZANY - Chateaux

A renaissance mansion dated to the 16th century. The later reconstruction works in the 17th to 19th centuries kept its nature of a fortress. The wife of A. S. Pushkin used to come to the hrad with their children, as well as other representatives of Russian cultural and literary life. There is still a binding to the Pushkinian tradition as the rooms are used for the exposition of A. S. Pushkin's Literary Museum (the only museum of A, S. Pushkin abroad)

CACHTICE castle

City: Cachtice
District: Nove Mesto nad Vahom
Region: Trencin
Tourist Region: Stredne Povazie

One of the first hrads securing the western border of the Hungarian Monarchy served in 1560 - 1614 as a home, and later as a prison, for the gloomily famous Cachtice Lady - Alzbeta Bathory. In the town beneath the ruins, there is a manor-house called "Draskovicovsky", built in the Late Renaissance (1668), which now offers an exposition of Slovak history, geography and literature.

ILAVA - KLOBUSICE manor house

Classicist mansion, museum of trade, accommodation. Classicist manor-house.

Chateaux ORLOVE

Initially a Renaissance manor-house, rebuilt under Baroque lines, with museum of history, geography and literature

Z I L I N A    r e g i o n

BYTCA - Chateaux

Manor-house - The Renaissance manor-house was built on the place of a former Gothic hrad in the 16th century.

MOSOVCE - Chateaux

Manor-house - A Baroque - Rococo chateau (the second half of the 18th cent.) with an English park.

ORAVA castle

City: Oravsky Podzamok
District: Dolny Kubin
Region: Zilina
Tourist Region: Orava

The Thurza family had rebuild the initially guard royal fortress into a present form of the most picturesque hrads in Slovakia towards the end of the 16th and in the beginning of the 17th centuries. It is divided into the upper, central and lower parts. In 1800, the hrad fired down, nevertheless, preservation and reconstruction works saved him from decomposition. It is now the host of the Orava Museum, one of the oldest Slovak museums, acquainting the visitors with style furniture, sculptures, paintings, dresses, weapons and trophies as well as with the history of Orava region and the hrad itself, accompanying with an archeologic exposition. One of the most important Renaissance sculptures in Slovakia, the tomb of Juraj Thurza (1616), is displayed in the hrad chapel.

STRECNO castle

City: Strecno
District: Zilina
Region: Zilina
Tourist Region: Stredne Povazie

The picturesque ruins of a Gothic hrad on a towering rock on the left bank of the Vah river proved to be the most secure fortress in the region of upper Povazie, It is deemed to be build by Matús Cak in the 14th century. In the 17th century it was destroyed by the Imperial army. From the top of the hrad rock the ruins of the old Starhrad hrad can be seen, and there is also a nice view on the Domasin meander, a rare natural monument in the Mala Fatra National Park.

Chateaux BUDATINSKY

City: Zilina
District: Zilina
Region: Zilina
Tourist Region: Stredne Povazie

Budatin manor-house is build upon the confluence of the Vah and the Kysuca to the north of the centre of the town of Zilina. The tower of the hrad was initially an observatory from a custom and toll house from the 13th century. The present form dates back to the beginning of 30-ies of the 20th century. In the interiors you can see five expositions of the Povazie region museum, one of which displays a unique tinker art pieces, deemed to be the only in the world.

B A N S K A   B Y S T R I C A    r e g i o n

BANSKA BYSTRICA town castle

ZVOLEN castle

City: Zvolen
District: Zvolen
Region: Banska Bystrica
Tourist Region: Horne Pohronie

In the second half of the 14th century, the Hungarian king Ludovit 1st de Anjou had built a Gothic hunting settlement reminding the Italian town architecture of noble palaces. In the 16* century it had been rebuilt for a Renaissance style. There is a lapidary of Gothic art in the ground floor, and on the first floor the display continues with Europe art of the 16th - 18th cent, from collections of The Slovak National Gallery. From among the most impressing can be mentioned the works of P. P. Rubens, P. Veronese, V. Hogarth, and others. Every summer a feast called The Zvolen hrad Games is held.

BANSKA STIAVNICA New and Old castle

City: Banska Stiavnica
District: Banska Stiavnica
Region: Banska Bystrica
Tourist Region: Dolne Pohronie

Today romantic ruins, in the past a royal frontier guard hrad on a steep rocky reef at merge between the lower and middle flow of the river Vah, had undergone many reconstructions in between the 13th and 16th centuries. The hrad's ability to defend against Turkish raids approved in 1599, when Turks unsuccessfully besieged it. Since the fire in 1729 it has not been inhabited ever more.

In 1564 -1571 the New hrad had been under construction as a counterpoise to the Old one and as a part of the bailey of the town, Nowadays both serve for the Slovak Mining Museum giving displays tracing the history of battles against Turkish expansion. The site is listed in the Register of the World Culture Heritage of UNESCO.

SVÄTY ANTON - Chateaux

City: Sväty Anton
District: Banska Stiavnica
Region: Banska Bystrica
Tourist Region: Dolne Pohronie

Settlement of the Late Baroque with a large-scale English park was built for the Kohary family in the 18th century. Four wings of the building symbolise the four seasons, 12 chimneys stand for months, 52 rooms represent weeks, and there are exactly 365 windows. Today, it is the domicile of the Forestry, Lumbering and Hunting Museum possessing numerous weapons and trophies. In the beginning of September every year the Hunting Festival is organised under the name Days of St. Hubert.

KREMNICA town castle

City: Kremnica
District: Ziar nad Hronom
Region: Banska Bystrica
Tourist Region: Dolne Pohronie

Kremnica ducats, the medium for payment most searched for in Europe in the past, had been minted since 1335 in Kremnica, an important medieval mining town. The most ancient coin factory has been in operation till today. The most significant edifice dominating the town is the complex of the town hrad from the end of the 14th century involving a two-store Roman roundhouse of St. Ondrej, Gothic church of St. Catherine, Gothic double bailey with a gate and three strongholds, and remains of a Gothic Town Hall within the protective walls. On the southern side of the square, in the middle of the historic site, the Museum of coins and medals is situated, containing rich numismatic collections.

K O S I C E    r e g i o n

Chateaux BETLIAR

City: Betliar
District: Roznava
Region: Kosice
Tourist Region: Gemer

Manor-house with four corner towers is the product of the 19th century rebuilding of Andrassy family who intended to create a representation hunting residence amidst a splendid English park enriched with romantic constructions, artificial cave and waterfall. Equally interesting is the interior with a gallery of paintings, music and hunting salons, library with 20,000 volumes of books, historic furniture and exotic collections. It has obtained a UNESCO award for reconstruction.

KRASNA HORKA castle

City: Krasnohorske Podhradie
District: Roznava
Region: Kosice
Tourist Region: Gemer

The most visible sight of the Gemer region is undoubtedly the hrad Krasna Horka (Beautiful Hill). It is one of the oldest and best preserved hrads in Slovakia with original interiors (kitchen, larder, music salon, collection of weapons). There is a mausoleum in the outer bailey which belongs to the most important Secession constructions in Slovakia (1903 - 4). In the interior, a gallery of paintings is situated, with portraits from the 18th - 19th century Hungary.

Chateaux MARKUSOVCE

City: Markusovce
District: Spisskan Nova Ves
Region: Kosice
Tourist Region: Spis

Originally a Renaissance fortress was rebuilt into a Rococo residence. In 1778 a summer-house Dardanely was erected in the park behind the main building. The Museum of history, geography and literature in Spisska Nova Ves moved here its keyboard musical instruments (little organs, pianos, a small harpsichord) for display.

MICHALOVCE - Chateaux

The Zemplin region museum inhabits the Classicist manor-house to display pieces recording the society and history of the town and of the region from the oldest times up to now.

VELKY KAMENEC castle

Ruins of a 13th century hrad, with residuals of polygonal bastion with shot-openings.

Chateaux TREBISOV

Manor - house of the 18th century in a large-scale French park with displays of agriculture and a Neo-Gothic mausoleum of Julius Andrassy with sarcophagus from1893-5.

P R E S O V    r e g i o n

SPIS castle

City: Spisske podhradie
District: Levoca
Region: Presov
Tourist Region: Spis

The foundations of the hrad date back to prehistoric ages. The biggest hrad in the Central Europe had been one of few resisting the Tatar invasion in 1241. It endured up to 1780, when it burned down. Its history is closely linked to the Spis Canonry, the place of living of Spis priory order and later bishops. A two-tower Roman cathedral of St. Martin dominates the Canonry, It was under construction from 1245 to 1273, later redesigned in Gothic style, it contains extremely rare interior (altars from Late Gothic; Roman and Gothic sculptures, gravestones). Adjacent to the cathedral is a Late-Renaissance bishop palace. A complex of buildings - hrad Spissky hrad, Spis Canonry and Zehra (a little Roman-Gothic church of the 13th century with valuable wall paintings) - is recorded as a World Culture Heritage of UNESCO. Inside the hrad you can see displays of the hrad's history, medieval weapons, feudal jurisdiction and archaeology.

STARA LUBOVNA castle

City: Stara Lubovna
District: Stara Lubovna
Region: Presov
Tourist Region: Spis

The hrad, built in the 13th century was given as a caution to Poland by the Hungarian king Zigmund Luxembursky in 1412 together with 13 towns of Spis. In the period 1655 - 1661 the Polish coronation treasuries were kept there secretly in the face of the Swedish army. By considerable reconstructions in the 16th and 17th centuries the hrad altered into a stately Renaissance fortress. Displays of the building history of the hrad, archaeological findings, historic furniture, weapons and sacral art are given inside. A natural museum of houses from north-east Spis region lies in the outer bailey. The most rare piece is a wooden Greek Catholic church from Matejova village (1833).

hrad KEZMAROK

City: Kezmarok
District: Kezmarok
Region: Presov
Tourist Region: Vysoke Tatry

The Kezmarok hrad is the only completely preserved one in the Spis region. The Thokoly family had it rebuilt into a pompous Renaissance residence and had also built a Baroque chapel with exquisite ornamentation. Today it is open to public with its expositions of archaeology, history, ethnography and art.

STRAZKY - Chateaux

Renaissance manor-house in Strazky is one of the oldest in Slovakia. Together with a Gothic fortified church of St. Anna and a Renaissance carillon they form the historic core of the municipality. Following a reconstruction it serves for ex positions of the Slovak National Gallery - historic furniture and interior complements (17th - 19th cent), paintings of Ladislav Mednyansky (who had often visited the place and set to creative work), historical library and a collection of art crafts (17th - 19th cent).

STRAZKY - Chateaux

ZBOROV castle

hrad - Ruins of a hrad, also called Makovica and built in the 13th or the beginning of 14th century for protection of the drive-way from Poland to Hungary, is situated 10 km from Bardejov

KAPUSANY castle

Ruins of a hrad burned down in 1709.

SVIDNIK

The Dukla museum, the Museum of the Ukrainian Culture, Natural Museum of the Ukrainian Culture, Dezider Milly Gallery, all in the manor-house of the18th century.

Chateaux SVINIA

Display of the history of agriculture in the Baroque-Classicist manor-house.

VELKY SARIS castle

Zrúcaniny jedneho z najstarsich hradov na Slovensku, ukryte v lesnom poraste.

HUMENNE - Chateaux

Grandious Renaissance-Baroque building of one of the most important manors in eastern Slovakia, It was remodelled into an air of French Baroque chateaux and was owned by the Andrassy family. Today it is a residence of the Museum of history, geography and literature with art and history expositions, Hungarian kings gallery, Chinese parlour, collection of coins and a unique treasure of Celtic-Daak coins form the 2nd century B. C. In a near park, there are rare trees and shrubs, and under their shade stand the 15 objects of Carpathian folk architecture forming an open-air museum.

HANUSOVCE NAD TOPLOU - Chateaux

manor - house Renaissance - Baroque manor-house of the 17th century is now a residence of the Museum of history, geography and literature with valuable ethnographical and natural history exposition.