Castle & fortressEastern Slovakia & Spiš

Zborov Castle: the ruined fortress on Makovica hill

Zborov Castle (Zborovský hrad, also known as Makovica) is a ruined Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque-era castle on a hill above the village of Zborov in the Bardejov District, in the historical Šariš region of eastern Slovakia. It guarded a trade route to Poland, was owned by the Rákóczi family and makes a rewarding short walk from the road.

Legend says devils carried the castle stones from a higher hill by night, and that one of them was walled into the tallest tower, where his horns can still be seen.

WhereAbove Zborov, Bardejov District, Šariš region, eastern Slovakia

TypeRuined Gothic and Renaissance castle on Makovica hill

Best forHikers, history lovers and ruin explorers

Getting thereA 10 to 15 minute walk uphill from the Bardejov–Zborov road, or on foot from Dlhá Lúka

The history of Zborov Castle

Zborov Castle was probably built as a royal frontier fortress to guard the ancient trade route from Hungary to Poland. When exactly is uncertain. Some authors place its founding in the late 13th century, others at the beginning of the 14th, and a local legend credits a vassal of King Béla IV named Makó with building it after the Mongol invasion. The first sure record is a charter of King Louis I of 26 April 1347. A document of 1355 already mentions the village of Zborov with a chapel and a mill. At first the castle was small: a residential palace, a chapel and a square keep, joined by a curtain wall around a triangular courtyard.

In the Middle Ages the castle was the seat of the Makovica domain. In 1364 Peter Cudar of Ónod received it as a royal gift, and under the Cudar family the estate grew into one of the largest feudal domains in northern Šariš, with more than a hundred settlements. Probably in their time the castle gained a second courtyard and at least two semicircular towers. The following decades were troubled. In the 1440s the Hussite troops of Jan Jiskra held the castle for some years, and Polish armies crossed the estate in 1471 and again in 1491–92. After the Cudars died out in 1470 the castle passed to the Rozgonyi family, and from 1522 to the Tarczays.

From 1548 the castle belonged to Gáspár Serédy, who strengthened it against the growing Ottoman threat and, according to English sources, brought in Italian masters of modern fortification. The castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style with new residential and farm buildings and high walls. Through marriage it later came to the Polish magnate Janusz Ostrogski, who sold it in 1601 to Zsigmond Rákóczi. In November 1619 the Polish mercenaries known as Lisowczycy besieged George I Rákóczi in the castle but could not take it. In March 1666 the wedding celebrations of Ferenc I Rákóczi and Ilona Zrínyi were held in Zborov.

Ilona Zrínyi later married Imre Thököly, and the castle became one of the strongholds of the anti-Habsburg uprising. In autumn 1684 imperial troops under General Schultz captured the castle and demolished it. An inventory of 1704 still mentions it, but for more than three centuries it has been a ruin. In 1914 fierce fighting between Russian and Austro-Hungarian troops further damaged it. Parts of the walls survive, and some towers and palace buildings stand up to four storeys high. Since around 2010 a local association has been working to protect the ruins, and the hill has been a nature reserve since 1950.

Curiosities about Zborov Castle

Local legend says the castle was meant to stand on the higher Hradske hill, but the stones laid there moved by night to the lower hill where the castle stands today.
According to the legend, Hradske was the site of a gate to hell, and devils moved the stones to stop the gate from being blocked.
The same story says the devil responsible was caught and walled into the highest tower, where his horns can still be seen. A more sober version holds that workers secretly moved the stones to a hill that was easier to climb and then spread tales of hauntings.
In 1666 the wedding celebrations of Ferenc I Rákóczi and Ilona Zrínyi took place in Zborov. Ilona later married Imre Thököly, which made the castle a stronghold of the anti-Habsburg uprising.
In 1619 Polish mercenaries known as Lisowczycy besieged George I Rákóczi in the castle but withdrew without taking it.
The castle hill has been protected as the Zborovský hradný vrch nature reserve since 1950, and volunteers have cleared trees within 20 metres of the outer wall so that roots do not undermine the foundations.

Tours near Zborov 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 ›

Discover Kosice Walking Tour with Cathedral Stop

★ 5 (1 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Visiting Zborov Castle

From the main Bardejov–Zborov road, turn right just after the village sign. From the bridge it is a 10 to 15 minute walk uphill to the castle. Another access route starts in Dlhá Lúka, a northern district of Bardejov.
At the top there is a junction of hiking trails. A yellow-marked route runs between Bardejovské Kúpele and Dlhá Lúka, and a red-marked link joins the long-distance Cesta hrdinov SNP trail at Sedlo pod Hradským.
A nature trail with information panels leads from the spa of Bardejovské Kúpele to the castle, and its last panel is about the castle's history.
Parts of the walls and some towers and palace buildings survive, in places up to four storeys. Because the ruins are being conserved by volunteers, check the current conditions before you go.
Another place on this site nearby is the Basilica of St Giles in Bardejov, about 7 km away.

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

Map: where Zborov Castle is

Photos of Zborov Castle

Questions

Where is Zborov Castle and how do you get there?

Zborov Castle stands on Makovica hill above the village of Zborov in the Bardejov District, eastern Slovakia. From the Bardejov–Zborov road it is a 10 to 15 minute walk uphill, or you can walk from Dlhá Lúka.

Why is Zborov Castle also called Makovica?

Makovica is the name of the hill on which the castle stands, and the medieval domain around it was called the Makovica domain. Both names are used for the castle.

When was Zborov Castle built?

The exact date is uncertain: sources place it between the late 13th and the early 14th century. It is first mentioned in a charter of King Louis I in 1347.

What happened to Zborov Castle?

Imperial troops captured and demolished it in autumn 1684 after the Thököly uprising. It was damaged again in fighting in 1914 and has been a ruin ever since.

What is the legend of Zborov Castle?

Legend says devils moved the building stones by night from the higher Hradske hill to the lower one and that one devil was walled into the tallest tower. A more down-to-earth version says tired workers moved the stones themselves.

Who owned Zborov Castle?

Owners included the Cudar family from 1364, then the Rozgonyi and Tarczay families, Gáspár Serédy and his heirs, and from 1601 the Rákóczi family.