Likava Castle Ruins

Likavka, Slovakia

Likava Castle (Likavský hrad) was referred to for the first time in 1315. Its construction started with the intention to have a guarding point over the passage across the river Váh and the trade route from the Váh Basin to Orava and further to Poland.

The castle owners, the noble family of Hunyady, gradually reconstructed and widened the core of the Castle and built the part called the lower castle in the second half of the 15th century. In the second half of the 17th century, the Thökölys" eventually finished the entire fortification system though it was of no use as it did not prevent the disaster at the beginning of the 18th century when the retreating troops of František Rákoczi completely pulled down the castle in 1707.

Likava castle gradually decayed in ruins. After a thorough reconstruction in recent year the tower Hunyadyho veža was opened to public. It contains the exhibition of the Castle history.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Likavka, Slovakia
See all sites in Likavka

Details

Founded: c. 1315
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Slovakia

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Amanda Dang (7 months ago)
Beautiful views from this castle. It is currently under renovation so most of it is inaccessible. There is a lovely short walk through a forest to reach the castle. If you are in the area, it's worth a visit.
H. T. (7 months ago)
1 star Nice walk from Likavka. 2nd star Nice castle. But big disappointment after paying entry fee for almost nothing. Very small courtyard and 2-3 small rooms with history text and some photos with illustrations. That is all you get with some view on ruins. No refreshments and I didn't see any toilet there. There was one guide who explained history of castle collectively in Slovak language.
Dariusz DZariusz (9 months ago)
You can enter just 2 rooms, most of the castle is closed for tourists. If you nearby go ahead and visit, otherwise waste of time imo.
Branislav Flassik (2 years ago)
Majestic, sizeable, imposing and well preserved castle, but sadly, it is not completely open to public because of the safety measures, so there is not much to see of it's interior, just a small part.
Gal Anonim (2 years ago)
Nice ruins, free parking in the city Likava, not too high price for some history shown in expositions. I would recomend also to find place with good views of the castle- I did not have the time to do so but the castle must look nice from the distance.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.