Orava Castle

 

The Castle of Orava is considered as one of the greatest tourist attractions in the north of Slovakia. It was built in the form of an “eagle’s nest”, on a rock near the Orava river, above the village of Oravský Podzámok. As the district castle it also served as the seat for the families ruling Orava.

Like many other Slovak castles, it was probably built in the place of a former fortified fortress, after the Tartar raids in 1241. The castle was initially constructed in the Romanesque and Gothic style and later reconstructed in the Renaissance and Neo-Gothic style.

The castle consists of several buildings located in the places where the rock’s shape could be used as the foundation. In 1556, the family of Thurzó took over the castle and implemented the most extensive reconstruction works. It was in 1611 that the Orava Castle gained its present look.

After the Thurzó family died out, the castle went into the hands of multiple owners who did not take care of its condition. The greatest tragedy happened in 1800, when the castle became useless because of a fire. Significant restoration works, aiming to save the castle, were initiated only after the Second World War.

Nowadays, the castle complex comprises an interesting combination of buildings in the form of the lower, middle, and upper castle, palaces, fortifications, and towers. Another feature that appeals to tourists is a tunnel joining three entrance gates, with underground corridors below.

The castle is home to a department of the Museum of Orava, organising a lot of exhibitions there. The archaeological exposition is situated in the oldest parts of the upper castle. The natural history exhibits can be found in the lower parts of the middle castle, while its upper level hosts the ethnographic display. The historical exhibition is the set of Mediaeval and Renaissance castle buildings and their original furnishings. Owing to the short performances forming a part of the castle visiting schedule, it is believed to be one of the most interesting place to visit in Slovakia.