Slovakia is a castle superpower

Slovakia has abundant cultural and historical, fortified and stately buildings. There are more than 100 castles and at least double this number of manor houses built in different historical eras. In the past, they were the protagonists of history and their owners controlled the life of the country and its people. Every manor house area also had a garden or park. The curias once owned by petty gentry, can be seen in almost every village in Slovakia.

The Spišský hrad Castle and the monuments, which surround it, have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Accommodation in the manor houses, castles, and historical hotels in Slovakia.pdf

  • Spišský hrad Castle

    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.
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  • Bojnice Castle

    The gem of Bojnice is the ”fairy-tale” Bojnický zámok Castle, one of the most visited and most beautiful castles not only in Slovakia, but also in central Europe.
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  • Oravský hrad Castle

    The most attractive tourist locality of the northern Slovakia is the Orava Castle lying on the river Orava near the village Oravský Podzámok, below impressive cliffs. In 1370, it became a county castle and the seat of the Orava Castle estate, which included almost the whole region of Orava.
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  • Devín Castle

    Devín Castle standing on a massive rock hill above the confluence of the Danube and Morava is an unusually impressive landmark. It is part of the oldest history of Slovakia.
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  • Castle of Trenčín

    The Castle of Trenčín built on top of a steep rock is undoubtedly the dominant of the town Trenčín and the region of Považie. The Castle, which is along with those of Spiš and Devín one of the biggest in Europe, is the National Cultural Monument.
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  • The Ľubovňa Castle

    On a limestone cliff of 711 m over Stará Ľubovňa in the north-east of Spiš stands Ľubovňa Castle. Rulers met here in the past, it is the place where Polish coronation jewels were hidden and where famous adventurer, noble man and King of Madagascar, Móric Beňovský was imprisoned.
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  • The Castle of Nitra

    The dominant of the oldest Slovak town Nitra is the Castle of Nitra. It was built in the 11th century on the site of a bulky Slav fort, the seat of the Nitra Princedom and Great Moravian rulers. Today it is the seat of the Bishopric of Nitra.
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  • The Castle of Strečno

    On the left bank of the Váh river, close to Žilina, you find the Strečno Castle on top of the limestone rock. In the past it was the safest fort in the Považie region.
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  • The Červený Kameň Castle

    The most beautiful castle in the Malé Karpaty mountains, situated just several tens of kilometres from the Capital Bratislava is one of the best preserved Slovak Castles  - Červený Kameň. In the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a bulky fortress with a fortification system that was then one of the top military-defensive systems.
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  • Topoľčianky Manor House and Castle

    The village of Topoľčianky, which is located north of the western Slovak town of Zlaté Moravce at the foothill of the Tribeč Mountains, boasts an extensive English garden, which features a picturesque Classicist-style manor house that forms the southern wing of an old castle.
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  • Banská Bystrica Town Castle

    The town castle was once formed by several ancient buildings in the central Slovakian metropolis Banská Bystrica. Its task was to protect the income proceedings of copper and silver mining for the royal treasury.
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  • Bratislava Castle

    The monumental building of the Bratislava Castle is visible from a great distance. Certainly, every visitor of Bratislava notices the pronounced silhouette. The majestic impression is enhanced by the hill it stands on, some eighty-five metres above the water level of the Danube river.
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    Brodzany Manor House

    Western Slovakia's Ponitrie region boasts a number of historical and cultural monuments, with a Renaissance-style manor house in Brodzany, which also includes the Museum of A. S. Pushkin, ranging among the best-known sites.
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  • Castle of Budatín

    The Castle of Budatín with a strategic position at the confluence of the Váh and the Kysuca rivers is a dominant of Žilina.
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  • Castle of Kežmarok

    The dominant of the town Kežmarok is the Castle  Kežmarský hrad that has entered the history of tourism in the High Tatras as the salient point of the first known tourist trip to this mountain range.
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  • Chateau of Vígľaš

    East of Zvolen in central Slovakia next to the village Vígľaš is castle bearing the same name.
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  • Dolná Krupá Manor House

    Only several kilometres north of Trnava in the south-west of Slovakia is the village Dolná Krupá. The Classicist manor house of the Brunsvick family is the pride of the village.
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  • GrandCastle Hrad and Kaštieľ Liptovský Hrádok

    The Castle Hrádok built on a small hill near the river Belá is situated in the town Liptovský Hrádok in the north of Slovakia. Though several versions of a story narrating the origin of the castle exist, one thing is certain: the first reference to the castle is from 1341.
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  • Kremnica Town Castle

    The Town Castle in Kremnica is part of the NBS - Museum of Coins and Medals.

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  • Manor house Snina

    The manor house has underwent reconstruction in 2012 and was opened for the public in summer 2013. Currently it is a seat of the city library, museum with a permanent exhibition, gallery and social and cultural events, ceremonies as well as concerts of classic music are organised there. 
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  • Markušovce Manor House

    One of the stateliest buildings of eastern Slovakia is situated in the southern part of region Spiš. It is the manor house Markušovce.
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  • Mojmírovce Mansion

    The Mojmírovce Mansion is situated 15 km southwards from the region center Nitra in the village of Mojmírovce. The first written reference to a former town with rich history dates back to 1156. There are several monuments in the village that are a testimony to its interesting past. One of them is the aforementioned Mojmírovce Mansion that is located in the romantic setting of a park reserve.
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  • Nový zámok (New Chateau) Banská Štiavnica

    On the hill above Banská Štiavnica, Nový zámok (New Chateau) stands since 1571 bearing the name of the hill Frauenberg or Dievčenský or Panenský hrad in Slovak (Maiden Castle or Virgin Castle).
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  • Oponice Manor House

    This 16th-century, Renaissance-style manor house in the village of Oponice, which lies near the city of Nitra in western Slovakia, is bound to attract scores of art and history lovers.
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  • Pajštún Castle

    Bratislava is the ideal starting point for a trip to the Pajštún Castle next the village Borinka in the Malé Karpaty Mts.
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  • Smolenický zámok Chateau

    The Malé Karpaty Mts. offer several landmarks. The one of them is the Smolenický zámok Chateau, one of the Romantic buildings in Slovakia built to the design imitating central France chateaus.
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  • Starhrad Castle

    One of the oldest castles in whole Považie region, the "Old Castle" is located upon the Váh River, near Strečno Castle. The seat of a province in 13th and 14th centuries started to become desolate in early 18th century and gradually turned to romantic ruins.
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  • Starý zámok (Old Chateau) Banská Štiavnica

    The dominant monument of the town centre of Banská Štiavnica that has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List  is Starý zámok (Old Chateau) standing on the terrace west of the Trojičné námestie square.
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  • The Biely Kameň Castle

    Above Svätý Jur in the Malé Karpaty Mts., near Bratislava there are the ruins of the Biely Kameň Castle, which was probably built in the 13th century.
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  • The Blatnický hrad Castle

    Ruins of the Blatnický hrad Castle stand near the village Blatnica on the low but sharp limestone ridge, which separates Gaderská dolina valley from the Turčianska kotlina basin. It dates to the 13th century.
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  • The Branč Castle

    Fans of history will certainly visit the ruins of the Branč Castle towering on the easily discernible cone-shaped hill at the altitude of 475 m above the village Podbranč north-east of Senica in south-west of Slovakia.
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  • The Brekov Castle

    Fans of history will perhaps like to ascend to the ruins of the Brekov Castle rising above the town Humenné on top of the andesite rock with a nice view of the environs, including the towns of Humenné and Strážske.
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  • The Čabraď Castle

    Ruins of the Čabraď Castle are in the Krupinská planina plain in south of Slovakia.
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  • The Castle Dobrá Voda

    Situation of the village Dobrá Voda in the inner-mountain basin is also picturesque. Ruins of the Castle Dobrá Voda Castle tower above the area of the Dobrovodský karst.
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  • The Castle of Beckov

    The castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
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  • The Castle of Čachtice

    Ruins of the “mysterious castle in the Karpaty mountains” tower above the village Čachtice in western Slovakia. It is the Castle of Čachtice, once residence of the “bloody countess Elizabeth Bátory”.
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  • The Castle of Fiľakovo

    The distinct dominant of the town Fiľakovo on the Slovak-Hungarian frontier are the ruins of its Castle, which survived the Tartar raids in the 13th century.
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  • The Castle of Sitno

    Sitno, the tallest mountain of the Štiavnické vrchy Mts., (1,009 m), dominates the south-western horizon of Banská Štiavnica and offers a fabulous view. Three faces of the mountain are steep, almost inaccessible, and on the fourth side the Castle of Sitno, or better said its ruins, stand. It was built in the 13th century on the site of a primeval fortified castle. It is in ruins since the 18th century.
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  • The Castle of Slovenská Ľupča

    One of the best preserved castles in Slovakia stands above the village Slovenská Ľupča at the foothills of the mountains Nízke Tatry.
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  • The Castle Revište

    The ruins of the Castle Revište near Hliník nad Hronom in central Slovakia are set amidst a romantic environment. They stand on top of steep rock about 100 m above the floodplain of the river Hron. There is a wonderful meadow below the castle used by canoeist as a camping site.
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  • The Čičva Castle

    The road south of the Veľká Domaša water reservoir leads below the ruins of the Čičva Castle from the 13th century. The Castle did not survive the last Rákoczis rebellion in 1711 when it was damaged.
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  • The Divín Castle

    The village Divín is situated next to the water reservoir Ružiná in south of central Slovakia.  Ruins of the medieval Divín Castle can be seen above the village.
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  • The fort Bzovík

    The fort Bzovík in the south of central Slovakia next to more northerly situated village of Bzovík is another mute witness of local history.

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  • The Gýmeš Castle

    Above the village Jelenec in the Tribeč Mts. in west of Slovakia, at the height of 514 m there are ruins of the originally Gothic Gýmeš Castle, built in the second half of the 13th century on the site of an older fort.
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  • The Hričovský hrad Castle

    West of Žilina near the Váh river, the ruins of what was originally the Romanesque Hričovský hrad Castle exist. It is one of the oldest castles in the middle part of the region of Považie.
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  • The Hrušov Castle

    Several kilometres north of Topoľčianky in the Tribeč Mts. in west of Slovakia are the ruins of the Hrušov Castle towering on top of the Skalka Mt. at the height of 488 m.
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  • The Jasenov Castle

    South of Humenné in wonderful woods of the Humenské vrchy Mts. are the ruins of the castle called Jasenov from the 13th century.
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  • The Korlátka Castle

    The village Cerová lies below the Malé Karpaty Mts. in the south-west of Slovakia. It is one of the starting points for the trip to the ruins of the Korlátka Castle built in the mid-13th century. As a Royal Castle, it protected the western frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary.
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  • The Lednica Castle

    In the north-west of Slovakia in the Biele Karpaty Mts. lies the village Lednica with the picturesque Lednické bralo rock and castle ruins on its top, perhaps the most inaccessible one among the castles in Slovakia. It looks like an eagles nest.
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  • The Levický hrad Castle

    The Castle is the most important dominant of the town Levice. It is from the end of the 13th century. It stands on top of volcanic rock protuberance above the swamps of the Hron river. It was the sentry fort guarding the road leading to central Slovakian mining towns.
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  • The Lietava Castle

    Not far away from Rajecké Teplice south of Žilina are the ruins of the Lietava Castle. It is one of the biggest and most visited castles of Slovakia.
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  • The Likava Castle

    Likavský hrad is situated in the north-western part of Liptov. The Castle was referred to for the first time in 1315. Its construction started with the intention to have a guarding point over the passage across the river Váh and the trade route from the Váh Basin to Orava and further to Poland.
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  • The Liptovský hrad Castle

    This highest situated Castle in Slovakia is at the altitude of 993 m in the mountains Chočské vrchy in the north of the country. In the past its owners alternated. The first owners obtained it from the king and it was inherited afterwards.
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  • The manor house Betliar

    North-west of Rožňava in the east of Slovakia, in the valley of the Slaná river is the fairy tale-like two-storied manor house Betliar with four corner towers. It is a stately hunting manor surrounded by a wonderful English park with romantic structures including an artificial cave and waterfall.
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  • The manor house Budmerice

    The village Budmerice situated below the mountains Malé Karpaty in western Slovakia has a long history. There is a wonderful manor house built by the Pálffy family.
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  • The manor house Bytča

    Visitors of north-western Slovakia often go to see the manor house in Bytča, the product of the Renaissance architecture. It is one of the few Renaissance manor houses in Slovakia, which kept its original appearance free from any alterations or modifications.
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  • The manor house Humenné

    The town Humenné is situated on the middle reach of the Laborec river in the east of Slovakia and it has an originally Renaissance manor house. In the 19th century the manor was reconstructed in the Baroque style, which imitates the French architecture.
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  • The manor house Michalovce

    The most attractive cultural monument of the town Michalovce in the east of Slovakia is its manor house. It stands in the middle of the town on the bank of the Laborec river, on the site of the old water castle, which protected the territory against the enemy assaults.
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  • The manor house Moravany nad Váhom

    An important cultural and historical monument in environs of the world-famous spa Piešťany in south-western Slovakia is the Renaissance manor house with a park situated in the village Moravany nad Váhom.
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  • The manor house Rusovce

    The architectural feature of Rusovce - the urban district of Bratislava - is the Neo-Classical manor house built in 1840 on the site of an older manor house from 1521.
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  • The manor house Strážky

    The local part of Spišská Belá - Strážky in the east of Slovakia today represents a complete compound of cultural and historical monuments. The manor house in Strážky is a gem of the Renaissance architecture in Slovakia.
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  • The manor house Svätý Anton

    In the heart of the mountains Štiavnicke vrchy in central Slovakian village Svätý Anton (known as Antol before 1996) stands a monumental Baroque-Classicist manor house with a wonderful English park.
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  • The Modrý Kameň Castle

    Ruins of the Modrý Kameň Castle stand on a hill over the smallest town in Slovakia bearing the same name - Modrý Kameň. Nowadays the Castle houses a unique Museum of Puppets and Toys.
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  • The Muráň Castle

    The Muráň Castle, one of the highest situated castles of Slovakia, was built as the royal sentry castle on top of the Cigánka cliff at the height of 935 m in the 13th century.
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  • The Ostrý Kameň Castle

    North of Smolenice is the village Buková with water reservoir and a marked route, which leads southward to the romantic ruins of the Castle Ostrý Kameň from the 13th century. The Castle was a royal border fort guarding the Czech road in the past.
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  • The Plaveč Castle

    The ruins of the Plaveč Castle from the 13th century adorn the top of the hill towering above the wide valley of the Poprad river. It is an ideal place for unique views.
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  • The Plavecký hrad Castle

    The Plavecký hrad Castle, subject of many legends, is the most important attraction of the western slopes of the Malé Karpaty Mts.
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  • The Považský hrad Castle

    The Považský hrad Castle towers on the steep mountain on the right bank of the Váh river. It was built in the second half of the 13th century and its mission was to protect the trade route passing by it.

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  • The Pustý hrad Castle

    The Pustý hrad Castle (also known as the Old Castle of Zvolen) is situated near Zvolen on the slope of a forested mountain in the Javorie mountain range, above the confluence of the Hron and Slatina rivers, in central Slovakia. It is surprisingly large, comparable with the more famous Spiš Castle.
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  • The Šarišský hrad Castle

    The medieval power centre of Šariš was the Šarišský hrad Castle, the ruins of which are on the top plain of a distinct elevation above the town Veľký Šariš situated north-west of Prešov.
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  • The Šášov Castle

    The ruins of the medieval Šášov Castle stand above the river Hron not far away from Žiar nad Hronom in central Slovakia. According to a legend, the lord of the Zvolen Castle had it built for his court joker who saved his life while hunting.
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  • The Sklabiňa Castle

    The Castle of Sklabiňa towers on the edge of the basin Turčianska kotlina and the mountains Veľká Fatra. It was first mentioned in 1242. After 1320, the Sklabiňa Castle became the seat of the county administration of Turiec.
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  • The Slanec Castle

    Slanec is the village situated in the distinctly sank part of the ridge of the Slanské vrchy Mts. with the castle hill. The ruins of an old medieval castle are on top of it. The document from 1230 mentions it as the castle, which guarded the salt stores.
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  • The Šomoška Castle

    In the administrative territory of the village Šiatorská Bukovinka, in immediate vicinity of the Slovak-Hungarian frontier can one observe traces of the past volcanic activity in form of a huge basalt rock with one of the most picturesque Slovak castle on top of  it. It is the Šomoška Castle, unique among the Slovak castles as it is built of unconventional hexagonal basalt pillars. 
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  • The Súľovský hrad Castle

    Fans of history can see the ruins of the Súľovský hrad Castle in north-western Slovakia.
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  • The Tematín Castle

    One of the castles in the region of Považie that guarded the western borders of the Kingdom of Hungary was the Tematín Castle. Its romantic ruins standing on top of the side ridge of the Považský Inovec Mts. are visible from a large distance.
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  • The Topoľčiansky hrad Castle

    Fans of history will perhaps climb the hill towering above the village Podhradie in the Považský Inovec Mts. in west Slovakia with the Topoľčiansky hrad Castle on its top.
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  • The Turniansky hrad Castle

    The head of the Turňa county resided originally at the Turniansky hrad Castle, ruins of which stand on top of the conspicuous cone-shaped hill west of Košice in the east of Slovakia. Rare flora grows on its limestone slope including the local endemit Onosma tornensis, which can not be found anywhere else in the world.
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  • The Uhrovec Castle

    The ruins of Uhrovec Castle tower in the mountains Strážovské vrchy in western Slovakia. It is one of the most valuable castles in the Romanesque style in Slovakia from the 13th century.
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  • The Viniansky hrad Castle

    The castle is situated north-west of the East-Slovakian village Vinné.
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  • The Vršatec Castle

    If you find yourself in the mountains Biele Karpaty near village Pruské, an imposing view of the Vršatské bradlá cliffs opens in front of you. Remains of the royal sentry Vršatec Castle are on top of the rocks.
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  • The Zborov Castle

    Not far away from Bardejov in north-east of Slovakia are the ruins of the Castle Zborov, also called Makovica.
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  • The Zniev Castle

    High above the village Kláštor pod Znievom in the Malá Fatra Mts. raise the ruins of the Zniev Castle. It is the second highest situated castle in Slovakia (985 m).
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  • Zvolen Castle

    The Zvolen Castle, which is located on the bank of the Slatina River, is the most distinctive feature and symbol of the Central Slovakian town of Zvolen. An armoured train that reminds the Slovak National Uprising is placed nearby the castle.
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