Krásna Hôrka Castle: the hilltop fortress above Rožňava
Krásna Hôrka Castle (Hrad Krásna Hôrka) stands on a steep, cone-shaped hill above the village of Krásnohorské Podhradie, about 6 km east of Rožňava in eastern Slovakia. Its name means “beautiful little hill”, and the Gothic core, the Renaissance bastions and the Andrássy family rooms make it one of the most memorable castles of the Gemer region.
In March 2012 two boys lit a cigarette and set the grass alight; the fire climbed the hill and burnt the roofs of Krásna Hôrka, a castle said to be among the best preserved in Slovakia. About 90% of its collections were saved.
The history of Krásna Hôrka Castle
Krásna Hôrka rises on a steep hill about six kilometres east of Rožňava, and its name simply means “beautiful little hill”. A stronghold was built here in the Middle Ages to protect a road through the mining country of the Slovak Ore Mountains. The Slovak Wikipedia suggests that it probably stands on an older hillfort, which is said to have sheltered King Béla IV from the Tatars in 1241. At first there was hardly a castle in the modern sense: a prism-shaped tower and a residential palace, enclosed by a shared wall. The first written mention dates from 1333.
Three great noble families shaped the castle: the Mariássy, the Bebek and the Andrássy. The Bebeks held it, apart from short interruptions, until 1566. In the middle of the 16th century, with the Ottoman threat close and the struggle for the Hungarian crown raging, František Bebek had the old castle turned into a modern fortress. It received a triangular plan with half-round bastions at the corners, and heavy cannon cast in 1545 and 1547 still stand on the terrace. According to the German Wikipedia, the Sabbatarian Anabaptist Andreas Fischer, condemned as a heretic, was thrown from the castle wall to his death in 1542.
After the Bebek line ended, the castle was administered by royal captains. The ambitious Péter Andrássy, who first held it as a captain, began a rebuilding that lasted a hundred years; the Hungarian sources describe a Renaissance remodelling between 1578 and 1585. From 1642 the castle belonged to the Andrássys by deed of donation, and they turned it into a noble residence that still kept every element of defence. A representative wing with the hall of the county assembly was added in the 17th century, and after 1710 the castle was altered together with the mansion of Betliar, owned by a branch of the same family. In 1770 a cannon bastion was rebuilt as a Baroque chapel.
Around 1817 a lightning strike set the castle on fire, and only the most necessary repairs followed. In 1857 the Andrássys opened a family museum, accessible to the public after 1875. In 1903 Count Dionýz Andráši added a memorial museum for Countess Františka Hablawcová, and the castle was restored in 1903–1905. The family kept it until 1945, when it became state property; it has been a National Cultural Monument since 1961 and, since 1996, is run by the Slovak National Museum as part of the Betliar museum.
On 10 March 2012 a grass fire, started by two boys trying to light a cigarette, spread up the slope to the shingle roofs. The roofs, the exhibition in the upper Gothic palace and the bell tower with its three bells were destroyed, but firefighters and the army saved most of the contents, and about 90% of the collections survived. The roofs have since been re-covered in copper sheet, and the Slovak Wikipedia reports a 2019 plan to reopen the lower and middle parts first, with the upper castle to follow later.
Curiosities about Krásna Hôrka Castle
- The castle chapel is said to hold the naturally mummified body of Countess Zsófia Serédy (about 1660–1710), wife of the Kuruc general István I Andrássy, once lord of the castle.
- Before the fire the castle displayed an original preserved castle kitchen, historic instruments in a music hall, a rich collection of medieval and oriental weapons and an exhibit of instruments once used to force confessions.
- A Baroque painting of the Krásnohorská Madonna from 1739, kept in the castle chapel, is an object of pilgrimage.
- The Hungarian folk ballad Krasznahorka büszke vára (“The Proud Castle of Krásna Hôrka”), traditionally played on the tárogató, was inspired by the castle.
- Another explanation of the name, unlikely but possible, derives it from kras, the Slovak word for karst, because of the karst landscape nearby.
- After the 2012 fire the Slovak National Museum moved the surviving objects to museums in Betliar and Košice.
Film and television at Krásna Hôrka Castle
The castle's Gothic silhouette has attracted at least one television production, mentioned in the Hungarian Wikipedia.
- Beszterce ostroma (1976) – A television film directed by Éva Zsurzs after Kálmán Mikszáth's novel was shot at the castle.
Tours near Krásna Hôrka Castle
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Krásna Hôrka Castle
- The castle is a National Cultural Monument. At the top stands the palace with the defensive tower; below it are further fortified palaces, the chapel and residential buildings that show how the complex grew.
- The permanent exhibition used to present fortification from the 13th to the 18th century, with prehistory of the Gemer region, medieval weapons, 17th-century furnishings and a memorial museum in the Bebek wing.
- Since the 2012 fire the castle has been under reconstruction, and the upper part was planned to reopen last. Check the current opening hours and which parts are open before you go.
- The village of Krásnohorské Podhradie at the foot of the hill offers views up to the castle. Turňa Castle lies about 21 km away and Muráň Castle about 41 km, both described on this site.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Krásna Hôrka Castle is
Photos of Krásna Hôrka Castle
Questions
Where is Krásna Hôrka Castle and how do you get there?
Krásna Hôrka Castle stands on a hill above the village of Krásnohorské Podhradie, about 6 km east of Rožňava in the Košice Region.
What does Krásna Hôrka mean?
The name means “beautiful little hill” in Slovak (krásna, beautiful; hôrka, little mountain). The Hungarian name of the castle is Krasznahorka vára.
What happened to Krásna Hôrka in 2012?
On 10 March 2012 a grass fire spread from the slope to the roofs and destroyed the roofs, the exhibition in the upper Gothic palace and the bell tower. About 90% of the collections were saved.
Who owned Krásna Hôrka Castle?
It belonged to three noble families, the Mariássy, the Bebek (until 1566) and the Andrássy, who held it from 1642 until 1945. After that it became state property.
Is Krásna Hôrka Castle open to visitors?
The castle has been under reconstruction since the fire. The sources describe a plan to reopen the lower and middle parts first, so check the current status and opening hours before you travel.
Was anything filmed at Krásna Hôrka Castle?
The Hungarian Wikipedia states that the 1976 television film Beszterce ostroma, based on Kálmán Mikszáth's novel, was shot at the castle.
Also nearby
Turňa Castle
Turňa nad Bodvou · ruined hill castle with a bastion 5 m thick
21 km away
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, Levoča
Levoča · domed Lutheran church on a Greek-cross plan
41 km away
Basilica of St James, Levoča
Levoča · Gothic basilica with the world's tallest wooden altar
41 km away
Muráň Castle
Muráň · mountain ruin of a robber knight and a legendary lady
41 km away