Castle & fortressCentral Slovakia

Šomoška Castle: a basalt ruin on the Hungarian border

Šomoška Castle (Hrad Šomoška) is a ruined fortress on a lone basalt hill in the Cerová vrchovina hills, near Šiatorská Bukovinka in southern Slovakia, only a short walk from the Hungarian border. Built in the late 13th century from the dark volcanic stone of the hill itself, it is worth the detour for its ruined cannon towers, wide views and the famous stone waterfall on the same hill.

The castle stands in Slovakia but takes its name from a village that belongs to Hungary: a border drawn in 1924 left the ruin on one side and the name on the other, beside a waterfall made of stone.

WhereNear Šiatorská Bukovinka, Lučenec district, southern Slovakia, at the Hungarian border

TypeCastle ruin on a basalt hill, inside a protected landscape area

Best forWalkers, geology and history lovers, and photographers

Getting thereAbout 12 km south of Fiľakovo; on foot roughly 40 minutes from the car park on the Slovak side

The history of Šomoška Castle

Šomoška rises on a lone hill of basalt, the plug of an ancient volcano roughly 160 by 130 metres across, in the Cerová vrchovina hills, a few dozen metres from today's border with Hungary. The castle was founded in the late 13th century by the Kacsics family, probably as one of the new strongholds of the Kingdom of Hungary built after the Mongol invasion of 1241; 1291 is often given as a likely date. The builders used what the hill offered, fragments of basalt columns joined with mortar. In 1323 the castle is recorded as castrum Somoskw, and it was also known as Drienov.

Its first lords were drawn into the power struggles that followed the end of the Árpád dynasty. In 1310 the sons of the founder surrendered the castle to the oligarch Matthew Csák, which gave him the southernmost stronghold of his domain. After Csák's fall King Charles Robert gave it to Thomas Szécsényi, whose descendants held it until the family died out in 1461. In the 15th century it was a centre of regional society, but the owners ran up heavy debts and pledged it to Mihály Országh and then to Albert Lossonczy, whose family held it afterwards.

After the Ottomans took Buda in 1541 the danger grew. In 1554 the nearby castles of Fiľakovo and Salgó fell, and Šomoška found itself on the front line, surrounded by Ottoman land. Its garrison of 50 foot soldiers, 40 hussars and 10 gunners held out for about two decades and could even disturb the link to Fiľakovo, then the seat of an Ottoman sanjak. The Ottomans took the castle in the 1570s and held it until the 1590s, when it was retaken without a fight. The owner, Anna Lossonczy, died soon afterwards and the estate passed to the Forgách family.

During these wars the castle was modernised for firearms. Three corner cannon towers were added, the largest in the west, 16.5 metres in diameter with walls 3.5 metres thick, and a barbican guarded the approach from the north. Repairs were ordered in 1618 and again in the mid-17th century, but a shortage of water limited its use in battle. In 1703 it fell to the insurgents of Francis II Rákóczi, and after their defeat it lost its role. Accounts of its final ruin differ: a demolition order, a fire and a lightning strike in 1826 all appear in the sources. Local people then used the walls as a quarry.

The 20th century moved the border to the castle's feet. After the Treaty of Trianon the frontier here was unclear; in 1924 the villages of Somoskő and Somoskőújfalu returned to Hungary, while the castle with its basalt quarry stayed with Czechoslovakia, and only from 1938 to 1945 did it belong to Hungary again. Conservation and partial reconstruction began in the 1970s, and parts were renovated again in 2025. In 2024 more than 25,000 people were recorded visiting.

Curiosities about Šomoška Castle

The stone waterfall beside the castle, formed by solidified basaltic lava about 4 million years ago, was discovered by accident during work on the castle.
The basalt columns on the hill have five or six sides and are only 15 to 20 centimetres wide; their angle shows where the walls of the old volcanic vent once stood.
The castle takes its name from the village of Somoskő at the foot of the hill, which has belonged to Hungary since 1924, although the ruin itself lies on the Slovak side.
In the 1840s the poet Sándor Petőfi passed by and wrote that he admired the way the castle was built from beautiful five-, six- and seven-sided stones.
The ruins appear in the logo of the cross-border Novohrad-Nógrád Geopark, and the hill is a national nature reserve.
Local basalt as the building material is a rarity among Slovak castles.

Tours near Šomoška Castle

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

Private Hiking Tour Visit to Slovakia with Licensed Guide

★ 5 (75 reviews) · 6 h

See details ›

Full-Day Tokaj Wine & Cellar Tour from Kosice

★ 5 (8 reviews) · 5 h

See details ›

Day Hike with a Local Mountain Guide in High Tatras

★ 5 (6 reviews) · 8 h

See details ›

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

★ 5 (2 reviews) · 12 h

See details ›

Visiting Šomoška Castle

The ruins preserve parts of the walls, the cannon towers and the barbican, partly conserved in the 1970s; stones and rubble show the original basalt construction.
The stone waterfall, a wall of basalt columns on the same hill, can be seen along a footpath and an educational trail set up in 2002.
On the Slovak side the walk from the car park takes about 40 minutes; from the Hungarian side the climb is said to take only about 5 minutes.
From the hill there are views over the Slovak and Hungarian parts of the Cerová vrchovina hills. Check the current opening hours and access conditions before you go.
Fiľakovo Castle, about 11 km away, makes a natural second stop.

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

Map: where Šomoška Castle is

Photos of Šomoška Castle

Questions

Where is Šomoška Castle and how do you get there?

Šomoška Castle stands near Šiatorská Bukovinka in southern Slovakia, about 12 km south of Fiľakovo and a few dozen metres from the Hungarian border. On the Slovak side it is about a 40-minute walk from the car park.

Is Šomoška Castle in Slovakia or Hungary?

The castle is in Slovakia, although it takes its name from the village of Somoskő, which belongs to Hungary. The border was fixed in 1924, leaving the village in Hungary and the castle in Czechoslovakia.

What is the stone waterfall at Šomoška?

It is a wall of basalt columns formed about 4 million years ago when basaltic lava solidified. It was discovered by chance during work on the castle and is a geotourism attraction unique in Europe.

Who built Šomoška Castle?

It was founded in the late 13th century by the Kacsics family. Later owners included Matthew Csák, the Szécsényi, Lossonczy and Forgách families.

Was Šomoška Castle held by the Ottomans?

Yes. The Ottomans held it from the 1570s until the 1590s, after resisting its small garrison for about two decades from the front line.

Is Šomoška Castle a ruin?

Yes, it has been a ruin since the 18th century. Conservation and partial reconstruction began in the 1970s, and parts were renovated again in 2025.