Smolenice Castle

Smolenice, Slovakia

Smolenice Castle was built in the 15th century, but it was destroyed during Rákóczi's War of Independence and Napoleanic wars. In 1777, Count János Pálffy from Pezinok inherited Smolenice but did not reside in the castle due to its poor condition and lack of money for rebuilding it. The castle was rebuilt in the 20th century by order of Count József Pálffy. The architect Jozef Hubert designed the new castle by using Kreuzenstein castle near Vienna as a model, and the works were controlled by the architect Pavol Reiter from Bavaria. During its construction there were masters from Italy, Germany, Austria and Hungary, and 60 workmen from Smolenice and nearby villages. The main building has two wings and a tower, and is made of ferroconcrete.

The castle was damaged in the spring of 1945 during World War II, and in that same year the state became the owner of it. Some reconstructions have been made after 1950, and since June 26, 1953 the castle is property of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The castle serves now as a conference centre, and it is only opened to the public in summer season.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Zámocká 18, Smolenice, Slovakia
See all sites in Smolenice

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Slovakia

More Information

www.slovakia.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.kcsmolenice.sav.sk

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Ostrý Kamen Castle Ruins (4,5 km)
Korlátka Castle Ruins (7,7 km)


Bratislava Old Town (47,6 km)
Bratislava City Museum (47,6 km)
Bratislava Castle (48 km)
St. Martin's Cathedral (47,9 km)
Devín Castle (50,5 km)
Grassalkovich Palace (47,1 km)
St. Elisabeth Church (47,3 km)
Slavín Memorial Monument (47 km)
Schloss Hof (49,5 km)

User Reviews

Edgar Davey (2 years ago)
Very nice castle. Pretty and cozy
Philipp Martin Dingeldey (2 years ago)
Nice place to visit and hike, or attend weddings. Staff was really friendly. Rooms were very simple but good enough for a night's stay
Martin Melus (2 years ago)
Beautiful castle on a hill above the village Smolenice. It is owned by Slovak academy of sciences accessible for tourist only in summer months June till August. The either symbolic entry fee will give you a guided visit, that will lead you through the nicest places in the castle. The tour ends on the tower top after taking more than 100 steps with a breathtaking view on the land surroundong the castle.
Livia Handlovicova (2 years ago)
Beautiful castle. Great place for weddings, team building, etc. The accommodation can be very comfortable. Very nice views and beautiful nature.
IvanIV100 (2 years ago)
Really nice place to stop by if you are going around it. You can have a lunch there even thi the food id mediocre. There is option of castle tour which is really great ending with going to a tower with beautiful view.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-See Historic Places in Córdoba
Photo from Flickr, copyright StarlightHope

Historic Site of the week

Ängsö Castle

Ängsö Castle was first named as "Engsev" in a royal charter by king Canute I of Sweden (r. 1167-1196), in which he stated that he had inherited the property after his father Eric IX of Sweden. Until 1272, it was owned by the Riseberga Abbey, and then taken over by Gregers Birgersson.

From 1475 until 1710, it was owned by the Sparre family. The current castle was built as a fortress by riksråd Bengt Fadersson Sparre in the 1480s. In 1522, Ängsö Castle was taken after a siege by king Gustav Vasa, since its owner, Fadersson's son Knut Bengtsson, sided with Christian II of Denmark. However, in 1538 it was given by the king to Bengtsson's daughter Hillevi Knutsdotter, who was married to Arvid Trolle.

In 1710, the castle was taken over by Carl Piper and Christina Piper. Ängsö Castle was owned by the Piper family from 1710 until 1971, and is now owned by the Westmanna foundation. The castle building itself was made into a museum in 1959 and was made a listed building in 1965. It is currently opened to visitors during the summers.

The castle is a cubical building in four stores made by stone and bricks. The lower parts is preserved from the middle ages. It was redecorated and expanded in the 1630s. The 4th storey as well as the roof is from the expansion of Carl Hårleman from 1740-41. It gained its current appearance in the 1740s.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.