Castle & fortressCentral Slovakia

Zvolen Castle: a royal hunting palace turned art gallery

Zvolen Castle (Zvolenský zámok, often called Zvolenský hrad) rises on a terrace at the southern end of the main square of Zvolen in central Slovakia. Louis I of Anjou had it built between 1360 and 1382 as a Gothic hunting palace modelled on Italian town castles, and later builders added a Renaissance ring of bastions. Today it is a branch of the Slovak National Gallery and an easy, rewarding stop in the middle of the town.

A king's hunting lodge became the stage of a royal engagement, the seat of the commander John Jiskra and today shows Rubens, Veronese and Hogarth beside a ceiling of 78 painted rulers.

WhereCentre of Zvolen, Banská Bystrica region, central Slovakia

TypeGothic hunting palace with Renaissance fortifications; today an art gallery

Best forArt lovers, history fans, families and anyone who wants a castle right in a town centre

Getting thereAt the southern end of Námestie SNP in Zvolen, reached on foot or by a road from the square to the main gate

The history of Zvolen Castle

The first seat of power in the area was the 12th-century castle on a steep rock above the confluence of the Slatina and Hron rivers, known today as Pustý hrad, the deserted castle. Its difficult access led King Louis I of Anjou to build a new castle in the valley between 1360 and 1382. He conceived it as a Gothic hunting palace, influenced by the town palaces and castles of fourteenth-century Italy. Archaeologists later found that it stands on the site of an older church building, discovered in today's courtyard. When the castle was finished in 1382, it witnessed the engagement of the king's daughter Mary and Sigismund of Luxembourg, who celebrated their wedding here in 1385.

The palace had a four-wing plan with two towers built into it, a wooden gallery on stone brackets around the courtyard and a stone arcade between the towers. A two-storey chapel contained a royal gallery, while towards the town lay a row of state rooms with a mighty knights' hall, its walls covered with frescoes and its ceiling made of an elaborate timber structure. In the 15th century the castle was one of the seats of John Jiskra of Brandýs, one of the most powerful commanders in Hungary, from 1440 to 1462. King Matthias Corvinus visited it often with his wife Beatrice, who used it as a residence from 1490.

Around 1500 the castle was strengthened under the Thurzo family. They added an outer ring of walls with four round bastions and an entrance gate and decorated the palace with wall paintings. Under growing pressure from the Ottomans, another floor with loopholes and corner oriel turrets was added in the middle of the 16th century, and in 1548 Italian masters carried out a Renaissance reconstruction. Around 1590 an artillery bastion was built as well. Later alterations changed the look of the castle very little.

In 1638 Baron Pavol Esterházy took over the whole Zvolen estate, and the family sold the castle to the state in 1805. A painted wooden ceiling from 1712 was moved into the hall, and in 1784 the chapel was rebuilt in Baroque style. At the end of the 19th century the Gothic crenellated attic that had been lost during the Baroque alterations was reconstructed, in work done between 1894 and 1906. After the First World War the building served as a forestry museum, and in the Second World War it was badly damaged. A long and costly restoration between 1956 and 1969 made it usable again, and since then it has housed the Slovak National Gallery.

Curiosities about Zvolen Castle

The Baroque hall has a painted wooden coffered ceiling from 1712 divided into 78 fields with symbolic pictures of Roman kings and Habsburg emperors in chronological order, ending with Charles VI.
Slovak sources call it both Zvolenský zámok and Zvolenský hrad, and the older castle on the rock above the rivers is a separate ruin called Pustý hrad, only about 2 km away.
The vaulted passage still holds Gothic stone seats with tracery and original frescoes.
The lapidary of Gothic art on the ground floor gathers fragments of the castle and its 14th-century chapel, as well as wall paintings transferred from the former Zvolen parsonage.
The gallery shows copies and facsimile casts of several of the most important carvings by Master Paul of Levoča.
The summer theatre and opera festival Zámocké hry zvolenské has been held in the castle since 1974.

Tours near Zvolen 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 Zvolen Castle

The Slovak National Gallery shows a Lapidary of Gothic Art on the ground floor and Old European Art on the first floor, with works by Rubens, Veronese and Hogarth. On the second floor the Forestry and Wood Museum presents the history of Zvolen.
Worth seeing are the vaulted passage, the chapel, the knights' hall, rooms vaulted on a central pillar and the Baroque hall with its painted ceiling.
The castle can be reached on foot or by car along a road from the square to the main gate at the north-east corner. There is a car park by the road and a town bus stop near the castle, and paths with benches run around it. Check the current opening hours before you go.
Concerts, exhibitions and festivals are held through the year, and there is a tea room in the courtyard.
Nearby sights include Pustý hrad (about 2 km), the wooden articular church of Hronsek (about 9 km) and Banská Bystrica Castle (about 18 km).

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

Map: where Zvolen Castle is

Photos of Zvolen Castle

Questions

Where is Zvolen Castle and how do you get there?

Zvolen Castle stands on a terrace at the southern end of Námestie SNP in the centre of Zvolen. A road leads from the square to the main gate, and there is a car park and a bus stop nearby.

Who built Zvolen Castle?

King Louis I of Anjou had it built between 1360 and 1382 as a Gothic hunting palace. The Thurzo family later added an outer ring of fortifications.

What can you see inside Zvolen Castle?

It houses a branch of the Slovak National Gallery with a Lapidary of Gothic Art and Old European Art, including works by Rubens, Veronese and Hogarth. You can also see the chapel, the knights' hall and a Baroque hall with a painted ceiling.

What is the difference between Zvolen Castle and Pustý hrad?

Pustý hrad is the older 12th-century castle on a rock above the Slatina and Hron rivers, about 2 km away. Zvolen Castle was built in the 14th century as an easier-to-reach replacement.

What happened at Zvolen Castle in 1385?

According to the English Wikipedia, the future queen Mary of Anjou and Sigismund of Luxembourg celebrated their wedding here. Their engagement was held at the castle after its completion in 1382.

Are there events at Zvolen Castle?

Yes. The international theatre and opera festival Zámocké hry zvolenské has been held here since 1974, and there are also concerts, a Shakespeare festival and other cultural events during the year.