Krasna Horka Castle

Krásna Hôrka Castle is the most famous and most beautiful castle in Slovakia. It is located in the village of Krásnohorské Podhradie, just 30 kilometres from the spa town of Štós in the south-east of the country. The castle dates back to the 13th century and is listed as a Slovak cultural monument. Tens of thousands of tourists visit it every year.

History of Krásna Hôrka Castle

1. First castle of the 13th and 14th centuries; 2. Buildings after 1322; 3. Buildings before the mid-16th century; 4. 17th century; 5. others according to M. Bóna, M. Plaček

 

The Krásná Hôrka castle was built in 1320, when defensive constructions began to be built on the site of the present-day village of Krásnohorské Podhradí. There was no war at that time, and the fortress in the mountains was needed to protect traders from robbers. By the way, the castle was not built from scratch. The foundation of an older fortress, which had served as protection against Mongol-Tatar raids, was used as the foundation. 

 

Reconstruction of a late 13th century castle by M. Bóna, M. Plaček

 

The construction of Krásná Hôrka took place over several centuries. First, the main defensive tower and some fortifications were built. After that, the castle was expanded and strengthened, etc. The castle was also reconstructed several times. In addition, the castle had to be extensively reconstructed several times because it was either burned down or badly damaged by warfare.

Reconstruction of a castle from the first half of the 14th century according to M. Bóna, M. Plaček

Historically, Krásná Hôrka Castle has always been a private property. The first owners of the castle were the Mariášiovci family. However, the most famous family name associated with the museum is Andrássy. This family got rich from the iron trade in Europe. The Andrássy family owned the castle from the 16th century until the end of World War II. The situation changed only in 1945, and the castle became state property. In 1961 it was declared a Slovak cultural heritage monument.

 

Reconstruction of a mid-16th century castle by M. Bóna, M. Plaček

Appearance

Krásná Hôrka Castle always draws the eye of everyone who passes by. The white-stone fortress rises on a hill above the rest of the landscape. The building itself is divided into three large structures - an upper castle and a couple of lower fortifications.

1856-1860 by Johann Gabriel Friedrich Poppel, Ludwig Rohbock

The oldest building is the tower, which was erected in the 1930s. Over time, it has changed from a purely defensive structure to a living space, especially when other residential buildings sprang up next to it.

A bird's eye view of the castle gives it a triangular appearance, with the bastion towers at the apexes. In the centre is the palace, chapel and other outbuildings.

The interior of the castle

We have already written that the Krásná Hôrka Chateau has undergone more than one restoration. The last one was completed in the 1990s. And as a result of this work, most of the rooms have been restored. The restorers recreated interiors of XIII-XVIII centuries. In addition, there are a lot of things from those times that became exhibits of the castle-museum.

A visit to the Gothic palace is always of particular interest to tourists. It has a huge collection of things from the Gothic period. You'll be particularly proud of the weapons, which range from medieval swords to the first muskets and pistols, as well as the torture devices that were popular during the Middle Ages.

Those less interested in weapons should be interested in the palace's living quarters, which contain a mass of furniture, paintings and some jewellery.

Finally, the jewel in the crown of the entire Krásná Hôrka Castle collection is the mummy of one of the castle's owners. The jewel in the crown of the collection is the mummy of Count Andrássy's wife - Žofia Serédyj whose body rests in a glass coffin. The body was found at the beginning of the 19th century in the crypt of the church in Krásnohorské Podhradí. The mummified body was not destroyed even by a devastating fire in 2012.

!!! A serious fire broke out on 10 March 2012, but 90 percent of the exhibits were saved. The castle is currently closed for renovation. It is promised that it will open its doors to visitors in 2023-2024.