Liptov Castle

Liptovský castle stands on the Sestrč hill at the height of almost a thousand metres above sea level. It is the highest castle in Slovakia and one of the highest in Central Europe. Its ruins tower above the villages of Kalameny and Bukovina in the Chočské hory. The castle was built by King Belo the Fourth in 1262 on the site of an older fortification from the first century BC. It served as a defensive point and controlled an important road from Liptov to Orava and further to Poland. From 1340 it became the seat of the Liptov County. The history of the castle is full of dramatic events. It has been conquered several times by enemy armies, including the Hussites between 1431 and 1434. Its last owner, Peter Komorovský, opposed King Matthias Corvinus. After the conquest of the castle in 1474, the king had it completely demolished so that it would never serve his enemies again. Thanks to archaeological research in the 1980s, the foundations of the original buildings were uncovered and preserved. Today you can see the remains of the cisterns, the palace and the towers. The castle area is freely accessible and offers magnificent views of Liptovská Mara and the surrounding hills.