The Jasov Castle ruins are located in the village of Jasov, Slovakia.

Jasov Castle History

After the battle of Rozhanovce in 1312, at which King Karol Robert vanquished the Omodej clan, he had a castle built on the north-east tip of Jasov Rock, on the basis of an agreement with the Convent of Jasov, and entrusted it to the care of the count palatine.

Records from 1324 mention Lack, son of Mika de Beel, who was himself castellan to Count Palatine Filip, as the castellan or keeper of the castle. The castle was intended for the defense of the as-yet unfortified monastery, and in the records of 1390, its name is given as Jazowara. In the 15th century, it was besieged by the brattice armies led by the Pole Udricky.

Just below the castle mount, in the upper part of Jasov Cave, an inscription was discovered in 1923 written in charcoal directly on the dry limestone rock, which tells of the battle between Jan Jiskra of Brandys and Jan Hunady at Lucenec. It is dated St. Matthew’s Day, 24.2.1452, and commemorates Jiskra’s victory.

In 1458 Jasov Castle was taken by the royal army led by Sebastian of Rozhanovce but was subsequently never rebuilt.

The Jasov Castle stood on the very top of the limestone outcrop, directly above Jasov Cave, at a height of 96 meters relative to the river below, and 350 meters above sea level. It formed an irregular oval with dimensions 46 * 12 to 14 meters and with its longer axis oriented east-west.

The rocky plateau over which the castle extended is defined on the north side by a steep and in places vertical drop. On the other side, it was protected by a ditch carved out of the rock, 7-10 meters wide and 4-12 meters deep. An A180 cm thick outer defense wall rose up above this ditch.

On the north side, overlooking the steep drop, for safety reasons there was probably a simple wooden fence. On the western side of the castle yard stood a residential palace building with a ground area of 12×10 meters, whose outer defenses were an integral part of the general fortifications. There are no other visible signs of further stone architecture in the castle interior.

The access road led up from the east and then crossed over through a cutting to the western side, where there was a bridge construction of which some masonry in the shape of a letter L has survived to this day.

There was another ring of fortifications around the castle forecourt, at a distance of 100 to 150 meters to the south, consisting of a large ditch 300 m long, 18-20 m wide, and 5-7 meters deep, with a 2-3 m high earth rampart along the interior side.

The strength of the former nature trail leads to Jasov’s rock. The entry point is directly in front of Jasov Cave. The trail is marked on both sides. When you stand facing the cave, take the left direction, so the path is easier on the rock

Jasov Castle Map

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Cachtice Castle is one of the most famous castles in Slovakia and this fame is not due to its architectural value but to the person who inhabited it at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

Čachtice Castle History

Built at the start of the 13th century to defend Hungary’s western borders, it was later expanded in the 15th century. At one point it was owned by Matúš Čák who also owned the nearby Trencin Castle.

At the end of the 14th century, the Stibor family from Stibotice owned it but in 1569, it became the property of the famous Nadasdy family. The aforementioned Elizabeth Bathory was married to Ferenc Nadasdy.

Visit Čachtice Castle

The castle was destroyed by the troops of Rakoczi II in 1708. Although the castle was repaired afterward and used as a jail, it was completely destroyed by a fire in 1772.

The ruins of the castle can be still seen clearly to this day and they are open to visitors.

The castle is closed on Mondays but can be visited the rest of the week. Entrance fees vary between 1.50 and 2.50 euros per person.

Čachtice Castle Location

The town of Cachtice is located just one hour north of Bratislava or 30 minutes south of the city of Trenčin.

Once one arrives in the town, the ruins of the castle can be easily spotted on the top of the hill and the yellow hiking signs must be followed to reach it.

Čachtice Castle Map

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Bojnice Castle is the most famous castle in Slovakia. It is situated in Bojnice, a town 167 km northeast of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

Bojnice Castle History

The Bojnice castle was first mentioned in the 12th century and since then it was owned by Matthias Corvinus, the Thurzo family, and the Pallfy family amongst others.

Currently, the castle hosts a museum and is a major tourist attraction in Slovakia. The castle is also the scene of the annual International Festival of Ghosts and Spirits.

There is a room of arms in one tower, complete with all sorts of medieval tools of destruction – swords, halberds, maces, shining suits of armor.

In one room, the ornately carved ceiling glitters with pressed gold. A lustrous oil portrait of Jan Pallfy occupies the center panel of that ceiling. Another room is covered in hand-painted Turkish tiles, with huge Chinese vases sitting on either side of the porcelain mantlepiece.

The Legend of the black lady
The Black Lady and her husband, the lord of the castle, were a happy, successful couple. The lord was a military leader with a record of many battlefield victories. She was known for her virtue. Then, some relatives came to stay. They soon became envious of the Black Lady and her husband. Beautiful, young, rich – they had it all.

So they told the lord that while he was out waging war, his wife was having fun with other knights. He was enraged. He devised a simple test of her virtue. She had to jump from the castle’s highest tower into the moat with their newborn child. If she lived, she was innocent. The people of the village gathered to see if the lord of the castle would change his mind.

The Black Lady jumped with her child without hesitation, because she knew she was innocent. Before they hit the water, they suddenly floated up and away, proving her innocence. Then the crowd heard a noise: It was the relatives, going up in a puff of smoke. And from that time on, she has wandered the halls and stairs of the castle, wearing black, or sometimes appearing only as a strange shadow.

The story of Petr Poky
Poky was the boss of all the castle’s servants. Near Bojnice Hrad (one of many Slovak words for castle) are some natural mineral springs. To this day, people go to the spas at Bojnice for their health.

In Poky’s day, the spas were open and free to the public, peasants, and royalty alike. But Poky was a profiteer. He built a rampart around the spa and began charging – and pocketing – an entrance fee.

One day an old man came to the spa. He was a poor sage. When Poky’s guards told the old man he had to pay, he grew angry. The guards called Poky, who set dogs on him. As the man was driven away, he screamed that he would curse Poky – that all his gold pieces would turn to black stones and that he would be executed for his evil.

As it happened, the old man’s curse came to pass. The lord of the castle learned of Poky’s operation and had him executed. There is a historical record of a man named Petr Poky being drawn and quartered in 1496.

Bojnice Castle Visitor Information

Opening Times

From the 1st of May to the 30th of September the Bojnice Castle is open between 9:00 to 17:00
From the 1st of October to the 30th of April the castle open between 10:00 to 15:00
Ticket Info and Tours
A ticket for an adult costs 5.70 euros, for children aged 6 – 15 it is 2.90 euros and for children between 3 and 6 years the entrance fee is 0.70 euros.
A night tour is also available for groups above 15 persons, and the entrance fee, in that case, is 6.70 euros.

Bojnice Castle Location

Address: Zámok a okolie 1, 972 01 Bojnice, Slovakia. Get help with directions using the map provided below:

Bojnice Castle Map

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Sitting atop a hill in the capital of Slovakia, the Bratislava castle is one of the city’s most important landmarks.

Bratislava Castle History

It was first mentioned as Preslava castle in 907 and for a long time was known by this name (or Pressburg in German). By the year 1000, under King Stephen I of Hungary, the castle was an important one for the Kingdom of Hungary. It helped defend the kingdom in many battles against Bohemian and German attackers between the 10th and 13th centuries. The Bratislava castle was also one of the few ones to defend itself successfully against the Mongol invasion of 1241.

In 1536, the Pressburg castle became the seat of the Kingdom of Hungary after present-day Hungary was conquered by the Turks. Between 1552 and 1784 the holy crown of Hungary was hosted in this castle.

Starting in the 18th century, the castle gradually lost its importance. In 1811 a huge accidental fire destroyed it. For much of the 19th century, the castle continued to deteriorate and parts of it were sold as construction material. There were many plans to turn the place into government buildings but after World War II it was restored to its last known state. Restoration work started in 1957 and it was partially re-opened in 1968, but different types of works around the castle were continuously made.

Visit Bratislava Castle

Bratislava castle sits atop a hill and it is easy to spot from almost any point of the Slovakian capital. It is easily reachable on foot from the historical center and the area is well-signaled.

Bratislava Castle Map

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