Castle & fortressCentral Slovakia

Likava Castle: the largest fortress of Liptov above the Váh valley

Likava Castle (Likavský hrad) is the largest castle of Liptov, a ruin on a rocky spur above the village of Likavka in the Ružomberok District, at the foot of the Choč Mountains. It was built to watch over a crossing of the Váh and the trade route to Orava and Poland, and today it houses a small exhibition in the Hunyady bastion.

Likava Castle was held by Hussites for three years, hit by an imperial siege in 1670, turned into a county prison in 1685 and demolished in 1707 on the orders of a rebel prince.

WhereAbove the village of Likavka, Ružomberok District, Liptov, northern Slovakia

TypeLarge castle ruin with upper and lower castle and a museum exhibition in a bastion

Best forHistory fans, walkers and visitors exploring Liptov and Orava

Getting thereThe castle stands above Likavka, about 12 km from Havránok and 18 km from Orava Castle

The history of Likava Castle

The castle stands on the route from Liptov to Orava, where it guarded a crossing of the river Váh near Ružomberok and the trade road to Poland. The first certain written mention dates from 1315, when King Charles Robert gave it to the county head Master Doncs; according to another account he built it around 1335. After his death it passed to the royal chamber. In 1397 it was captured, briefly, during a raid by the Moravian margrave Prokop and the Opole prince Ladislav. From 1431 to 1434 it was held by a Hussite garrison. Soon afterwards John Hunyadi took it over, restored it and built a new western gate.

In 1447 Likava became a county castle and the centre of the royal Likava estate, which included Ružomberok, Nemecká Ľupča, Liptovský Trnovec, Liptovská Sielnica, Bobrovec and 17 more villages. The earlier core was extended by a lower castle after 1435, a Gothic upper castle in the second half of the 15th century and a four-storey palace, and it was altered in Renaissance style after 1533. In 1474 King Matthias Corvinus took the estate back from Peter Komorovský. Later owners included the Zápolya and Pekry families, and the Báthory family held it by the mid-16th century.

In 1566 the castle was bought by John Krušič of Lupoglava. Facing the Ottoman threat, he sacrificed the living quarters and chapel on the eastern front, which he strengthened and fitted with cannon chambers, turning it into a polygonal gun bastion. The Illésházy family, who followed, built the first eastern gate in 1642. Then came the Thököly family. Stephen Thököly gave the castle a well at great cost and, from 1651, built a massive western fortification of three round bastions (reportedly five at first) joined by a wall, with a partly dug moat. In 1670 imperial troops under General Heister captured the castle after a week-long siege.

The decline came quickly. Both the Thököly rebels and the imperial troops took the castle again in 1678, and in 1685 it was turned into a county prison. In 1703 the insurgents of Francis II Rákóczi occupied it, and in 1707 the Rákóczi treasury ordered the castle demolished during the retreat before the imperial army, after which it decayed gradually. Conservation and reconstruction began in the 1970s: the tower of the walled-up old gate, the third gate and parts of the walls of the lower and upper castle were rebuilt. In 2025 parts of the castle were reconstructed again. Today the ruin is run by the Liptov Museum.

Curiosities about Likava Castle

Likava is the largest castle in Liptov, and its main task was to guard the road from the Váh basin to Orava and Poland.
A Hussite garrison held the castle from 1431 to 1434, before John Hunyadi restored it.
Duke John Krušič of Lupoglava sacrificed the living quarters and chapel on the eastern front to build a gun bastion against the Turks.
Stephen Thököly gave the castle a well at a considerable cost, to secure its water supply.
The western fortification had three surviving round bastions, but reportedly five at first, joined by a wall along the edge of the terrace.
In 1685 the castle became the county prison of Liptov, a very different use from its original role as a border stronghold.

Tours near Likava 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 Likava Castle

At the top of the castle hill stands the upper castle with Gothic and Renaissance features; among the remains of the palaces is a small courtyard.
Look for the preserved window frames, portals, consoles, gun loops, a Renaissance attic and the sloped roofs that protected the access road.
The lower castle has impressive fortifications with an entrance and bastions, and the Hunyady bastion holds a permanent exhibition on the history of the castle.
The castle is looked after by the Liptov Museum in Ružomberok. Check the current opening hours and the state of the reconstruction before you go.
Other places on this site nearby include Havránok, Orava Castle, Sklabiňa Castle and the Church of All Saints in Tvrdošín, all within about 31 km.

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

Map: where Likava Castle is

Photos of Likava Castle

Questions

Where is Likava Castle and how do you get there?

Likava Castle stands above the village of Likavka in the Ružomberok District of northern Slovakia, in the Liptov region at the foot of the Choč Mountains. Orava Castle is about 18 km away.

Why was Likava Castle built?

It was built to guard a crossing of the Váh near Ružomberok and the trade route leading from Liptov to Orava and on to Poland.

How old is Likava Castle?

The first certain written mention dates from 1315, and the castle was extended over several centuries. It took its final form with the fortifications of the 17th century.

Why is Likava Castle a ruin?

In 1707 the retreating forces of Francis II Rákóczi demolished it on the order of his treasury, after an earlier imperial siege in 1670. It decayed gradually afterwards.

What can you see at Likava Castle today?

You can see the ruins of the upper and lower castle, Gothic and Renaissance details, the fortifications with bastions and an exhibition in the Hunyady bastion.

Who owned Likava Castle?

Owners included John Hunyadi, the Zápolya, Pekry, Báthory and Illésházy families, John Krušič and the Thököly family. After the Thököly uprising it passed under the treasury.