Spiš Castle
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In the eastern horizon of Spišské Podhradie towers the Spiš Castle. As a National Cultural Monument, Spiš Castle with its area of more than four ha, and partially in ruins, is one of the largest castle compounds in Central Europe. Spiš Castle was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. Construction of the medieval castle on a travertine hill (at an altitude of 634 m) dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. The oldest written reference to the castle is from 1120. At the beginning it was a boundary fort placed at the northern frontier of an early feudal Old Hungarian state. Afterwards, it became the seat of the head of the Spiš region for many centuries. In the second half of the 15th century the reconstruction of the castle fell upon its new owner Štefan Zápoľský whose intention was to remake it into a stately aristocratic residence. He had made a palace, a knight hall and chapel of St Elisabeth in the castle. His son Ján, later King of Hungary was born at the Castle. The last building works at the Upper Castle were made under the orders of the Thurzos' and the Csákys'. In 1780 the castle compound was destroyed by fire and the proud Spiš Castle gradually fell into ruins. The total decay of the castle was prevented only through the intervention of conservationists who in 1970 got down to the difficult job of preserving the walls and palaces threatened by the instability of its rocky base. At present there are the collections of the Spišské múzeum placed in the castle documenting its history, along with medieval arms and feudal jurisdiction. The landscape around the village of Spišské Podhradie can be seen comfortably by using the instructive footpath Sivá Brada – Dreveník, which has eight information boards along its route guiding the visitor through the travertine hills and natural phenomena in this part of the region. Due to its historical appearance, several films were made at the castle, such as Dragonheart, Phoenix, Kull the Conqueror, The Lion in Winter or The Last Legion... Access: driving to the parking lot under the castle, then walking about 10 minutes. Or on foot from the village Spišské Podhradie in about an hour. Opening: November – March: Closed May – September: Open daily 09:00 - 18:00 April and October: Open daily 09:00 - 16:00 Ticket for the whole castle: 08.00 € adults 06.00 € students (19-26 years) and pensioners 04.00 € children (6-18 years) 19,00 € family (max. 4 persons, e.g. 2 adults + 2 children) * Some photos courtesy of Internet. Thanks!
Dinh TuanDinh Tuan
80
We toured Spiš Castle in Žehra, Slovakia, and it was an absolutely stunning experience! As one of the largest castle grounds I’ve ever seen, it truly leaves a lasting impression. The sheer scale and beauty of the castle, perched high on a hill, is breathtaking. The panoramic views of the surrounding countryside alone make it worth the visit. The castle itself is rich in history, with many sections to explore, from ancient ruins to restored areas, each giving a glimpse into medieval life. We found it fascinating to walk through the grounds and imagine what life was like during its peak. If you're a fan of castles, Spiš Castle will not disappoint—its size, beauty, and history combine to make it a must-see destination. Whether you're exploring the castle ruins or enjoying the scenic views, Spiš Castle is an unforgettable stop for history buffs and casual tourists alike. We highly recommend adding it to your travel itinerary!
MikeMike
00
I have some mixed feelings about this castle, as I really wanted to visit for years, and from the outside, the castle ruin is really picturesque. You could make awesome photos from the surrounding roads/fields, and also the mountain road that we took from Kosice was a joy to drive on! Oh also, there is free parking at the castle, a bit Balkans (a big free for all), but it's not too bad. The view from the castle is also excellent, although you really mostly see the same things as you see from the castle gate, so not sure if there is much point to go inside. But if you want to go in.... First of all, be prepared to pay 10 EUR per adult (would be 16 if the upper parts of the castle were not under renovation), for what exactly again? Two souvenir shops where you cannot pay by card. A small shop where you could buy beverages and strudel for 2.5x the normal price. A free toilet. A huge, empty lower castle courtyard. A super slippery, straight out dangerous walkway leading to the upper parts of the castle (seriously we had to wait until the people coming down passed, only so we could find some handholds to go up. People kept slipping on the "pavement" even in proper shoes.) If you go to the upper castle, you will get a slightly better view of the surrounding countryside, and that's pretty much it. No exhibition, no big spectacle, just the opportunity to see the inside of a ruin, for a hefty price. I am not sure what will be added when the upper castle is finally finished, maybe the former president of Slovakia will sing and dance to the visitors to justify the high entry fee. But until that is confirmed, I really highly recommend that you carefully consider spending your money here. Go to the parking, sure. Walk up to the castle gates, sure. Take photos of the view from there, for absolutely free, and then go down to the village and enjoy a good meal, while also taking photos of the castle looming over, sure. You will probably feel that you miss out if you do not go in, but trust me... you will not miss out on much, really.
Norbert SzélNorbert Szél
00
What a disappointment! I'm a great fan of historical places and drove for an hour and a half to visit this one. Unfortunately due to renovation works you can only admire the castle from the outside as a great great majority of the inside of the castle is closed for visitors. 15 minutes is definitely enough to see all attractions available (incl. souvenirs shop) unless you speak Slovak then you can also see a small performance. There are somewhat misleading signs before a ticket desk showing that the majority of the "castle area" is open for visitors and that's correct and very interesting but only if you happened to be a fan of meadows which are totally covering an area originally inside the first ring of walls. I happened to understand this small trick later, after the tickets were bought already. Long story short: Until the renovation is finished, it is not worth the time and several Euros you need to spend as an entrance fee.
Michał WiśniewskiMichał Wiśniewski
10
Castle is very bauetifull with nice views and u can really walk a long time around and spend there hours. Noe is under reconstruction so dont be surprised. Bathrooms in, also some small refreshment and souvenirs. On weekends some shows, check on facebook. I would say that stuff should have badges, cause just some boy asked for tickets...and also some fast food would be nice, cause paniny what they offer nof enought. In past there was fast food and also small market and music..its pitty its loosing its charm and also lot of stuff disepeared from museum- where we find people to seat on the bed with forbidden acees but no one from sfuff checked.... Overall, worth to visit but dont expect any special services and close both your eyes while seeing what's happening to the place if u were there already before.
Deniska KDeniska K
00
A must for medieval architecture and history enthusiast Visited the castle in summer 2017. Easily reachable form the highway, parking lot a short walk from the entry. Traveled with kids (2,5,8) and decided to visit the place on Saturday later during the day. That twas a great decision because on our arrival some cars were parked all along the road to the parking lot. So obviously it was crowded during the day. The castle offers a lot of interesting picture places, wonderful panoramic locations, and inside a museum with various contents. So you can visit reconstructed rooms, cellars, torture machines, armors, arms, ... even some almost hidden tunnels are interesting to pass through. We had only something less than 2 hours of opening time and that was a pity but enough to have a great experience.
Igor CIgor C
40
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Address
053 61, Žehra, Slovakia
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Phone
+421 53/454 13 36
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Website
snm.sk
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4.6
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Description
The ruins of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia form sixth largest castle site in Slovakia. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš. It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1993. The size of the castle are is area 3,9 ha.
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