1. Spiš Castle

This medieval castle was built in 12th century and gradually grew in size to become a political, economic and cultural centre of the region. Unfortunately, the castle complex was destroyed by fire in 1780 and the ruins have never been restored to its original appearance. Covering about 41 thousand square meters it belongs to the biggest castles in Europe. Movies such as Dragonheart, The Lion in Winter or The Last Legion were shot right here. Due to its historical significance, Spiš Castle was inscribed in UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. You can visit this castle during the UNESCO one-day trip from High Tatras.

2. Bojnice Castle

The earliest mention of Bojnice castle dates from the 12th century. This castle was for many years owned by kings and aristocrats. The reconstruction in the 17th century brought the castle its romantic appearance. Now it is one of the most visited castles in Slovakia. This increasing popularity attracted many international filmmakers and a number of romantic, fairytale and fantasy films such as Fantagiro were shot right here. Under the ground is a large cave complex available for visitors during guided tours.

by Pudelek

3. Orava Castle

It’s surprising where the aristocrats from the Orava region decided to build the majestic Orava Castle. The highest part of the citadel is on a steep rocky limestone cliff 112 m above the Orava River. The first mention of Orava Castle can be found in the historical records in 1267 when it was declared as a royal property. Unfortunately, the castle complex was destroyed by a huge fire back in 1800. The largest reconstruction and restoration began after the WWII and nowadays the castle is one of the most visited attractions in Slovakia. Considering the value and specificity of the architecture, Orava Castle was named a site of national cultural heritage.

by Wojsyl

4. Bratislava Castle

The massive rectangular building with four towers stands on a strategic place – right above the Danube river in the capital city of Slovakia. Known as the symbol of Bratislava, the castle is undoubtedly the most popular sight in the city you should definitely visit during your stay in Slovakia. The first known inhabitants on the castle hill were Celts and Romans and the castle itself used to serve as a defensive fortification to protect against the enemies. Bratislava and its castle became a crucial part of the Hungarian and Austrian Empire. The castle was completely ruined by a fire back in 1811 and reconstructed in 1960’s to become a national cultural monument.

by K. Bauschardt

5. Stará Ľubovňa Castle

This castle is located in the eastern Slovakia, right above the town holding the same name, Stará Ľubovňa. Before you enter the castle, don’t forget to visit the open-air museum of the folk architecture under the walls of the castle. The castle was built at the beginning of the 14th century and it is open for visitors all the year round.

by Civertan

6. Trenčín Castle

Trenčín Castle was built on a settlement site, which existed here in the Bronze age. Celts, Germanic and Slavic tribes used to live on this place hundreds of years ago. The oldest building in the castle complex is a pre-Romanesque rotunda dated approximately from the period of the Great Moravia. The castle museum displays a huge collection of medieval weapons such as Gothic swords, sabres, oriental guns and rifles.

by M.Béreš

7. Smolenice Castle

It takes only one hour of driving to reach Smolenice Castle from the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava. The castle is perched above the village of Smolenice and the first mention dates from the 14th Century. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19 Century, the castle waited for a long time to be reconstructed. The restoration finished in 1950 and the castle became a property of Slovak Academy of Science. The building is mostly used for organization of scientific conferences, weddings and some parts of the castle are open for public visitors.

by K. Bauschardt

8. New Castle in Banská Štiavnica

The town of Banská Štiavnica is in its entirety inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of the curiosities of the town is the fact, that two castles are located in the town – the Old Castle and the New Castle. The New Castle was built in 16th Century as a main fortress against the Turks invading the region. The castle with 21 cannons became a part of signaling equipment used to inform about the approaching enemies.

by J. Korom

9. Devín Castle

Standing above the junction of Danube and Morava rivers, Devín castle has always played a big role in the history of the country. Thanks to its location and being very easy to reach from the historical centre of Bratislava, Devín Castle is regularly visited by many tourists all the year round.  The castle was destroyed by Napoleon’s army in 1809 and its ruins remind the turbulent history of battles and raids.

by K. Bauschardt

10. Strečno Castle

You simply cannot overlook the Strečno Castle on a steep rock cliff when you drive from Žilina to Martin in the Northern Slovakia. The castle offers marvelous panoramic views upon the river Váh and the surrounding valley. The ruins of the castle destroyed in 17th Century are open for public from April to November.

by J. Korom

11. Beckov Castle

This castle in ruins dating from the 13th century is located in Western Slovakia, in Trenčín region. An important route led here in medieval times. The castle is one of the few castles that survived the attacks of Turks and Tartar troops.

by K. Kapoutsis

12. Budatín Castle

Budatín castle was built to guard the confluence of rivers Váh and Kysuca where tolls used to be collected. This royal fortress from 13th Century can be found near Žilina, in Northern Slovakia.

by J. Korom

13. Krásna Hôrka Castle

This castle from 13th Century was extensively damaged by fire in March 2012. The fire was accidentally caused by two young boys attempting to light up a cigarette. They lit grass on the hill and the fire spread to the castle. Fortunately, the majority of castle treasures and collections remained undamaged, but the fire destroyed the roofs, bells in the tower and the exhibition in the Gothic palace. The castle is closed for public due to its reconstruction.

by J. Korom

14. Čachtice Castle

Have you heard about the world’s most sadistic female serial killer, Elisabeth Bathory? Remembered as “The Blood Countess” or “Countess Dracula”, Elisabeth was said to be a murderess of more than 650 victims. Some stories claim that Elisabeth had a routine of bathing in the blood of the virgins as a part of her beauty regimen. Čachtice castle was the seat of Elisabeth and its nowadays a perfect place for those who love mystical places.

by LMih

15. Nitra Castle

The city of Nitra was a metropolis of the Great Moravia Empire during the 9th Century. The castle right above the city dates from 11th Century and consists of four parts – the cathedral, the Bishop’s palace, the outbuildings and the well-preserved outer fortification walls with bastions.

by Xmetov

Would you like to visit Slovakia and see some of these castles? Take a look at the tour Highlights of Slovakia; or plan your own tailor-made tour and include those castles which you like the most in your personal itinerary!

The post 15 Amazing Castles You Must Definitely See! appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.

1. World’s highest number of castles and chateaux per capita

This is one of the most interesting facts about Slovakia that surprises travellers who have never visited Slovakia. Just imagine an incredible number of 180 castles and 425 chateaux in a country with the entire population far smaller than the city of New York! The most popular castles such as Bratislava castle, Orava castle or Bojnice castle draw thousands of visitors every year. The real highlight amongst Slovak castles is undoubtedly medieval Spiš Castle, which belongs to the largest castles in the Central Europe and was included in the UNESCO List of World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage.

by Pudelek

2. More than 6000 caves

Yes, it’s true. More than six thousand caves have been discovered in Slovakia so far! Most spectacular caves can be found in the national parks of Low Tatras, Slovak Paradise and Slovak Karst. Many of them  represent  unique natural wonders. Ochtinska Aragonite Cave  is the only one aragonite cave located in Europe and a huge 34 m high sinter column in Krasnohorska cave is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

by Paweł Kuźniar

3. First reservation of folk architecture in the world

The picturesque village of Čičmany in Northern Slovakia has a status of world’s first reservation of folk architecture. Surrounded by mountains the village is famous especially for its traditional wooden houses. The walls of these timber houses are decorated with white geometrical patterns, same shapes can be found on the folk costumes of the villagers. More than 130 houses belong to the historic preservation area.

by Mr. Theklan

4. The only capital in the world bordering two countries

The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, lies on the borders with Austria and Hungary. That makes the city the only one capital in the world that borders two independent countries. Moreover, Austrian capital Vienna is distant only 60 km! Both cities are stretched on the banks of Danube river and the boat cruise from Vienna to Bratislava takes only 90 minutes.

by Charlie

5. Currency = Euro (€)

Slovakia is not only a member of the European Union but also belongs to the Eurozone countries. In 2009, the Slovak Koruna (SKK) was retired from circulation after 16 years of using and replaced by a new currency – Euro (EUR). All surrounding countries except Austria use their own currencies, what gives Slovakia a big advantage for foreign tourists.

by Edroeh

6. Geographical midpoint of Europe

Near the village Kremnické Bane in Slovakia, right next to the St. John Baptist Church, is located the geographical midpoint of Europe. Unfortunately, due to the different types of calculations, Slovakia is not the only country which is proud of its geographical middle of Europe. Another 7 European villages claim to host this hypothetical midpoint as well. Famous recreational site in the ski resort Krahule near the village Kremnické Bane is named ‚The Centre of Europe‘.

by Fefeha

7. Travelling by train for free

Since November 2014 all children, full-time students less than 26 years old, widowed or disabled pensioners under 62 and seniors 62 and older are eligible to travel by train for free using the national railways. It is available only for citizens or permanent residents of countries that are member states of the European Union. All you need is a quick registration at cash desks to obtain your personal customer card. Afterwards, you ask for a zero-fare ticket for a specific train and enjoy the ride.

by Kurt Bauschardr

8. Remarkably diverse nature

Slovakia with  its 9 national parks and 14 protected landscape areas is literally a paradise for tourists. No trip to Slovakia would be complete without a visit to the wonderful mountains of High Tatras with peaks over 2500 m and glacier lakes that have been formed thousands of years ago. Other spectacular places are undoubtedly Slovak Paradise with its wild canyons, Low Tatras with lush alpine meadows and beautiful valleys in Little Fatra and Pieniny.

by gcnmrk5ii

9. More than 1300 mineral springs

Slovakia has incredible sources of mineral water and healing thermal springs. Most of them are actively used for therapeutic and recreation purposes within 21 spa resorts. While, for example, the US thermal springs are mostly viewed as the luxury and they are generally expensive, Slovakia’s spa resorts and aquaparks are affordable thanks to their long-lasting traditions. Romans, Celts and also famous Ludwig van Beethoven visited spa town of Piešťany to enjoy the healing effects of town’s thermal water.

by Bubamara

10. The highest wooden altar in the world

Old medieval town of Levoča is a home of the highest wooden altar in the world. This remarkable work was created by Master Paul. It is located in Church of St. James right in the historical centre of Levoča. 18,6 m high and 6 m wide altar was made without the use of a single nail! The entire town centre is also included in the List of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

by Lure

BONUS: One of  the most beautiful women in the world

According to U City Guides, Slovakia belongs to the top 3 countries with most beautiful women in the world. They even argue that the country can be especially proud of the grace the Slovak blondes were born with. There is probably nobody who visit Slovakia and is not excited about the natural charm of Slovak women. Walk around Bratislava and you’ll see why the women get so much attention!

by Georges Biard

The post DID YOU KNOW? 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SLOVAKIA appeared first on TIME FOR SLOVAKIA blog.