Castle & fortressCentral Slovakia

Levice Castle: a Gothic ruin and frontier fortress above the town

Levice Castle (Levický hrad) is the conserved ruin of a Gothic castle on a rocky rise close to the centre of Levice in the Nitra region. Founded in the second half of the 13th century and turned into an anti-Ottoman fortress in the 16th, it now combines Gothic walls, a Renaissance mansion and the Tekov Museum, with a bastion used as an amphitheatre.

One castle, two sieges, one hero of Eger: Levice Castle was held by Ottoman troops in 1663, won back a year later, and finally blown up by retreating rebels in 1709.

WhereLevice, Nitra region, southern Slovakia

TypeConserved Gothic castle ruin with a Renaissance mansion; seat of the Tekov Museum

Best forHistory lovers, families and anyone who enjoys a castle close to a town centre

Getting thereThe castle stands on a rocky hill near the centre of Levice, a short walk from the town

The history of Levice Castle

The castle was built in the second half of the 13th century on a rocky rise surrounded by marshy ground, to guard the southern approach to the mining towns of central Slovakia. Hungarian sources add that it replaced the older castle at Bars, destroyed in the Mongol invasion, and that Levice then became the centre of Bars county. Its first written mention dates from 1318, when it belonged to the powerful magnate Matthew Csák of Trenčín. In 1321 it became royal property, and King Charles Robert entrusted it to the castellan Imrich Bečej, who also became the first head of the county. By the end of the 14th century it belonged to the Lévai family. A fire in 1434 damaged it, but it was rebuilt straight away.

In the 16th century the Ottoman advance changed everything. After the death of the county head Gabriel Lévai, the castle fell to the robber-knight Melchior Balassa, whose raids brought an imperial siege; the garrison surrendered and some of its men were executed right below the walls. When the Lévai line died out in 1553, the castle returned to the king, who had already placed it among the anti-Ottoman fortresses in 1543. The Turks first appeared under its walls in 1544 and were driven back. In 1558 Levice was given to István Dobó, the hero of Eger, whose building works were completed by his son Ferenc. In 1571 a Renaissance mansion with corner bastions was added in the lower courtyard, and by then the castle had reached its final shape.

Later owners included the Kollonich, Csáky and Esterházy families. After 1635 the outer fortifications were joined to the town walls and separated from the castle by a moat, and, according to parliamentary decisions, serfs from far-off Orava and Liptov helped with the works, because the local population had been thinned by the wars. In 1663 the Ottoman army captured the castle, but a year later the imperial commander Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches won the Battle of Levice, drove the Turks out and had the castle fortified again.

The end came in stages. After a town fire in 1696 the damaged castle began to be demolished, and in 1699 the military garrison left. The troops of Francis II Rákóczi held it from 1702 to 1709 and blew it up before they withdrew, so it was never rebuilt. The bastion and the mansion survived and were repaired after 1710. In 1867 two Viennese bankers, the brothers Schoeller, bought the ruin; the family kept it until the end of the Second World War. The first reconstruction took place in 1930–1935. Since 1958 the Tekov Museum, founded in 1927, has had its seat in the Captain's Building, and the castle is still run by the museum.

Curiosities about Levice Castle

In 1558 the castle was given to István Dobó, the celebrated defender of Eger, and the gift was confirmed with a charter in 1560.
His son Ferenc Dobó was a famous champion of single combat; his best-known duel took place in 1581 on the plain near Korpona, where he defeated the Ottoman sanjak-bey of Esztergom.
When the nobleman Siegfried Kollonich died in 1623, his body was kept in a coffin in the great hall of the castle and was only buried in 1638.
In 1638 István Esterházy held his wedding to Erzsébet Thurzó at the castle, with knightly tournaments as part of the celebrations.
In 1703 the Kuruc officer László Ocskay took the town by a trick and, on 30 September, held a grand wedding here with the widow Ilona Tisza.
The south-western bastion has been turned into an amphitheatre and the eastern bastion is used as a tea room, so the old gun positions have found a new life.

Tours near Levice Castle

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Private One Day Tour to the UNESCO Heritage Village and The High Tatras from Bratislava

★ 5 (2 reviews) · 12 h

See details ›

Private Magic Christmas Tour in Bojnice

★ 5 (1 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Bojnice Heritage and Nature : Private Walking Tour

2 h

See details ›

Bojnice’s Romantic Embrace Private Walking Tour

2 h

See details ›

Visiting Levice Castle

What remains of the old castle is the masonry of the upper castle with its Gothic palace, the eastern bastion and the south-western bastion.
The 16th-century Dobó Renaissance mansion and the Captain's Building with the western bastion house the Tekov Museum, which also uses the Dobó mansion for exhibitions.
Since 2001 the museum has run a permanent exhibition on the history of pharmacy and on the castle itself, entered through the Jozef Nécsey Gallery.
The castle lies close to the town centre, so it combines easily with a stroll through Levice. Check the current opening hours before you go.
Other places on this site within about 40 km include the Church of St Catherine in Banská Štiavnica, Nový zámok, Gýmeš Castle and Bzovík.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Levice Castle is

Photos of Levice Castle

Questions

Where is Levice Castle and how do you get there?

Levice Castle stands on a rocky hill close to the centre of Levice in the Nitra region of southern Slovakia. It is within walking distance of the town centre.

How old is Levice Castle?

The castle was built in the second half of the 13th century, and a document from 1318 is its first written mention. It took its final form in the second half of the 16th century.

What was Levice Castle's role in the Ottoman wars?

In 1543 it became part of the chain of anti-Ottoman fortresses. The Turks were repelled in 1544, captured it in 1663 and were driven out in the Battle of Levice in 1664.

Why is Levice Castle a ruin?

A town fire in 1696 damaged it and demolition began; in 1709 the retreating troops of Francis II Rákóczi blew it up. Only some buildings, such as the bastion and the mansion, were repaired.

What can you see at Levice Castle today?

You can see the conserved walls of the upper castle with a Gothic palace, two bastions, the Dobó Renaissance mansion and the Captain's Building. The Tekov Museum has its exhibitions here.

Who was István Dobó?

István Dobó was the celebrated defender of Eger castle, who received Levice Castle in 1558. His son Ferenc completed the building works he began.