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Date updated: 05/20/2023

Lubovna castle

    Lubovna castle

    Next to the town of Stará Ľubovňa, the partially preserved Lubovna castle (Lubovniansky Hrad) is situated on a limestone hill at 548 metres above sea level and surrounded by beautiful scenery.

    History of Lubovna castle

    In its early days, Lubovna castle was a strategically important fortress for defending the trade routes. Most likely the fortress was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The first written mention dates back to the end of the XIII century. In 1292, written sources mention Lord Stebnik (Ztibennik), who owned the land, on which a little later began construction of the fortress to protect the trade routes. It is worth noting that at the time when the first written source about Luboňanský Grad is mentioned, the region itself was part of the Hungarian kingdom and power in the region was exercised through local landowners. The first mention of the castle itself appeared in 1311.

    In 1412, according to the "Treaty of Lubowyński" (deposit treaty) between Vladislav II. Jagelo, king of Poland, and Sigismund I. Luxemburgski, king of Hungary, 16 cities in the area of Spisz, including Lubowyński Grad, were pledged in exchange for money, the amount equivalent to seven tons of pure silver. The treaty also provided for the right to incorporate the pledged territories into Poland until the debt was repaid. There were other conditions in the treaty, but they do not interfere with the history of the castle. Hungary was never able to return the money and the territory of Spisz remained part of Poland until the end of the 18th century.

    In 1553, the castle fell victim to a terrible fire and was almost destroyed.  After restoration works, which began in 1555, Lubovna castle received a new Renaissance look. 

    In 1620 the rebuilding of the castle began in the Baroque style.

    In 1722 Maria Theresia abolishes the "Spisz pledge" because of the partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita), Hungary reclaims Lubovna castle.

    In 1825 Hungary sold it to the Raisz family, but returned it 55 years later because of high maintenance costs. But in 1882 the state sells it again for the same reason that the Raisz family brought it back. And the owner of the castle becomes the Zamoyski family (Zamoyskich) and they owned it until the end of World War II.

    Currently, there is a museum with an open-air museum with very interesting exhibits.

    Open-air museum

    The village looks like a picturesque mountain village and testifies to the development of national architecture and original folk architecture. You will see here several wooden buildings of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, get acquainted with the everyday life and economic culture of local people. A blacksmith's shop, a hunter's house, a school house and a water mill are part of the natural exposition.

    The most valuable open-air museum exhibit is the Greek Catholic wooden church from 1833. The magnificent wooden structure with the original iconostasis was dedicated to Michael the Archangel. An interesting fact is that in this religious building services are still held in accordance with the Greek-Catholic rite on major religious holidays. 

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