Bojnice Castle

Bojnice Castle is probably the best-known fairy tale Slovak architecture has to offer. The slender turrets, steep roofs and courtyards above the town of Bojnice look as though they were cut straight out of the Loire valley, and that is exactly what their creator intended. It ranks among the most visited monuments in Slovakia, and for guests of Glamping Resort it is one of the most rewarding trips for half a day or a whole one, just 19 minutes by car from the resort.

A fairy-tale castle on French models

The castle owes its present shape to Count Ján František Pálfi, who from 1889 turned what had been a medieval fortress into a romantic neo-Gothic castle. He looked for inspiration in the châteaux of the Loire and in Italian architecture, which he knew well as an art collector. He supervised the interiors and the decoration personally, so the result feels like a single work of art rather than a rebuilt stronghold. He did not live to see it finished: he died in 1908 and the work was completed two years later. The castle has been a national cultural monument since 1970 and is administered by the Slovenské národné múzeum (Múzeum Bojnice).

From a charter of 1113 to the Pálfi family

The history of the site reaches far back before the Pálfi rebuild. The first written mention comes from 1113 in the Zobor charter, when a wooden castle still stood here. It passed through the hands of the Poznan family, then from 1302 until his death in 1321 Matúš Čák Trenčiansky, in the 15th century it is linked with King Matthias Corvinus and his son John Corvinus, later the Thurzo family and from the middle of the 17th century the Pálfi family. They remained owners into the 20th century. A tragic turning point was the fire of May 1950, which damaged the towers, but the castle was restored and opened to the public as a museum shortly afterwards.

What you will see on the tour

The inside of the castle is every bit as striking as its silhouette. The classic route leads you through the count’s apartment with the Golden Hall, the Hunyadi Hall with its baroque chandelier and the neo-Gothic interiors of the Middle Castle, ending at the family crypt of Count Pálfi. The most precious treasure is the Gothic Bojnice Altarpiece from the 14th century in the castle chapel, the only completely preserved work by the Florentine master Nardo di Cione. It is in the details, the coffered ceilings, the carved panelling and the collections, that you see how much effort Pálfi poured into the castle.

The cave beneath the castle and the castle well

One of the experiences that usually surprises children and adults alike is hidden underground. Beneath the castle lies a natural travertine dripstone cave, a circular chamber 22 metres across, roughly 26 metres below the fourth courtyard. It was rediscovered in 1888, when the castle well was being cleaned during Pálfi’s rebuild. The castle’s inhabitants had known about it long before that; it served them as a refuge and a water supply. Today it is the largest accessible travertine cave in Slovakia, and two small lakes glimmer on its floor. Stepping from the grand halls straight into a cold cave in the rock is an unexpected contrast that makes the tour something more than looking at furniture.

The King Matthias lime tree

Right by the entrance to the grounds grows the King Matthias lime tree, a protected tree and one of the best known in Slovakia. Legend has it that Matúš Čák Trenčiansky planted it in 1301, and that it took its name from King Matthias Corvinus, who is said to have feasted and held assemblies beneath it.

Marek Púčik, the archivist of the Bojnice museum, has cast doubt on the legend. Almost 15,000 charters survive from Corvinus’s reign and not one of them was issued in Bojnice. The king moreover only acquired the estate in 1485 and spent his last years campaigning in Austria. The tree’s age cannot be verified either: the oldest documented mention of it dates from 1726, and because limes grow new wood over old, neither growth rings nor radiocarbon dating help. The seven hundred years handed down by tradition are therefore an estimate, not a figure. Even the name is not the original one: in the 19th century postcards also called the tree the Rákóczi lime. However that may be, it is a rewarding spot for a photo before you even buy a ticket.

Castle events and evening tours

Bojnice Castle was long famous for the International Festival of Ghosts and Ghouls, which came to an end after a quarter of a century. New events took its place: the theatrical Festival of Castle Stories, which brings the castle’s romantic history and its last count back to life, and the seasonal Fairy-tale Castle with a different theme every year. Also very popular are the evening tours with a guide in period costume, often by candlelight alone, and the Advent programme in December. If you want to experience the castle differently from the daytime crowd, it is worth watching the events calendar on the castle’s website, as both dates and themes change from year to year.

Practical tips before your visit

• Time: you can manage the castle itself in a morning; for the whole complex including the zoo, set aside a full day.
• Admission and hours: these differ by route and season, with discounts for children, students, seniors and holders of discount cards. Always check current prices and opening hours on the castle’s official website, as they change during the year.
• Tickets: you can only go inside in a group with a guide, so in high season it pays to buy your ticket online in advance.
• With children: the exhibitions are best appreciated by older children, but the cave and the courtyards will entertain the younger ones too.
• Parking: paid car parks lie right below the castle and fill up quickly at peak times. Visitors recommend arriving first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid both the crowds and the queues.

Combine it with other tips nearby

Bojnice Castle combines easily with other places in the area that are within reach of Glamping Resort. Less than two hundred metres from the castle’s main entrance lies Bojnice National Zoo, the oldest zoo in Slovakia, so you can do the castle and the animals in one day. History lovers should also see the ruins of Sivý Kameň Castle, and if you fancy something good to eat, there is a farm nearby with award-winning bryndza from Vtáčnik.