Plaveč Castle: a ruined border fortress above the Poprad
Plaveč Castle (Plavečský hrad) is a ruined hilltop castle above the village of Plaveč in the Stará Ľubovňa district, in north-eastern Slovakia. Founded around 1294 to guard a ford on the road to Poland, it later became a Renaissance and then Classicist residence. A fire in 1856 ended its life, and today it is one of the more atmospheric ruins of the Poprad valley.
In 1715 the emperor ordered old castles torn down, and Plaveč was on the list as a rebel nest. Its owners convinced the commission it was just a comfortable home, and the walls stayed.
The history of Plaveč Castle
Plaveč Castle was first mentioned in writing in 1294 under the name Palocha. It was built, at his own expense according to the Slovak account, by a nobleman from the Spiš region named Arnold, son of Ditrich, to secure a ford on the road leading to Poland. From the start it was built of stone, and its core was a massive residential tower about 9 by 8 metres, with walls 3 metres thick, standing on the highest point of the hill. Local tradition derives the name from the Cumans, known in Slovak as Plavci, whom the Hungarian kings invited to guard the borders. The castle became royal property, and in 1317 King Charles I gave it to the Drugeth family.
After the Drugeth line died out, King Sigismund of Luxembourg handed the castle to the Bebek family in 1366, and around 1427 they held the whole estate. In the 15th century the stronghold was drawn into the Hussite wars: between 1449 and 1458 it was ruled by Bohemian brethren led by Petr Aksamit. After they were driven out, the Zápolya family had it re-fortified, and in 1505 it passed by purchase to the Horváth family, who from then on called themselves Horváth-Palocsay after the place. The castle also took the side of the insurgents during the uprising of George I Rákóczi.
In the 16th century the family rebuilt the castle in the Renaissance style, and another extensive reconstruction followed in the 17th century. A description from 1644 lists, besides the tower, a palace with a representative wing, a manor house and a kitchen, a chapel, an old palace, two bastions and a locksmith's house, with a farm below the hill. The result was a comfortable residence that replaced the medieval fortress. This saved it in 1715, when Emperor Charles VI ordered that castles be demolished: the owners persuaded the commission that Plaveč was a dwelling rather than a stronghold.
The last alteration, in 1830, gave the residential part the look of a Classicist mansion, but opening large windows in the old walls upset the building's stability. The Palocsay family moved to a manor house they built near Plaveč. In 1856 a devastating fire struck the whole complex, and in 1857 the family died out. The abandoned castle slowly decayed, and in the 1990s the walls of the former palace collapsed, leaving only parts of the residential wing and a bastion. Since 2014 the castle has been renovated and partly rebuilt, and in the first phase the south-eastern wall was restored.
Curiosities about Plaveč Castle
- The castle owes its survival in 1715 to a clever argument: it was classified as a residence, not a fortress, so it escaped the imperial order to destroy old castles.
- The name Plaveč is said to come from the Slavic name of the Cumans (Plavci), a people invited by Hungarian kings in the 11th and 12th centuries to watch the borders.
- The original stronghold was a single massive tower, about 9 by 8 metres, with walls 3 metres thick, built on the highest point of the hill.
- Ironically, the costly Renaissance and later rebuilding hastened the castle's end: a showy palace with big windows could not stand up to the weather.
- Plaveč has a Day of the Castle, a cultural event for the public organised by a local association since 2013.
- Next to the ruins stands a mausoleum of the former owners, with a masonry cross.
Tours near Plaveč Castle
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Plaveč Castle
- The ruins stand on a hill about 549 m above sea level, above the right bank of the Poprad; the main road No. 77 runs between the river and the castle hill, and a path leads up from the road.
- What survives today are the high walls of the residential wing, the south-eastern wall with a round bastion and a defensive gun bastion on the north side of the former castle area. The site is under renovation, so some parts may be fenced or changing.
- Beside the ruins you can see the mausoleum of the former owners. Treat it quietly, as a burial place.
- The castle can be combined with Ľubovňa Castle (about 13 km), and the old towns of Spiš on this site lie 30 km or more away. Check the current opening hours and the state of the site before you go.
- The village of Plaveč has a church of St Margaret, which appears among the photos of the village.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Plaveč Castle is
Photos of Plaveč Castle
Questions
Where is Plaveč Castle and how do you get there?
The ruins stand on a hill above the village of Plaveč in the Stará Ľubovňa district, north-eastern Slovakia. A path leads to them from the main road No. 77, which runs along the Poprad.
How old is Plaveč Castle?
The first written mention dates from 1294, when it was recorded as Palocha. It was built as a border stronghold to guard a ford on the road to Poland.
Why was Plaveč Castle not demolished in 1715?
After the Rákóczi uprising the emperor ordered old castles to be torn down. The owners convinced the commission that Plaveč had become a residence rather than a fortress, so it was spared.
What happened to the castle after 1856?
A fire in 1856 damaged the whole complex, and the Palocsay family died out in 1857. The castle then decayed until the walls of the old palace collapsed in the 1990s.
Is the castle being restored?
Yes. Since 2014 the castle has been renovated and partly rebuilt. In the first phase the south-eastern wall was restored, and the next phase planned repair of the adjoining bastion.
Who owned Plaveč Castle?
Owners included the Drugeth family from 1317, the Bebek family from 1366, the Zápolya family and from 1505 the Horváth family, later called Horváth-Palocsay, until their line died out in 1857.
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