Likava Castle

Likava Castle is the largest castle building in Liptov and one of the highest castles in Slovakia. With its height of more than thirty-six metres at its highest point, it dominates the whole surroundings. It is located on the castle cliff above the village of Likavka, only three kilometres from Ružomberok. The first written mention of this royal guard castle dates back to 1341, although its construction dates back to the first third of the fourteenth century. It was founded by the magister knight Donč, a county magistrate of Svolenec and Liptov. The main task of the castle was to guard the important trade route from the Považie region to Orava and further to Poland. The castle had a rich and dramatic history. Between 1431 and 1434 it became an important Hussite fortress. Later it passed through the hands of several important families, including the Hunyadi, Zápoľský and Thököly families. Between 1651 and 1670 it served as the private residence of the Thököly family. In 1447, it became the castle of the capital and the centre of a large castle estate, which administered towns such as Ružomberok, Nemecka Ľupča and seventeen other villages in the region. The end of the castle came in 1707, when it was demolished for military and strategic reasons by order of Prince František II Rákoczi. Today, you can visit an exhibition in Hunyady Tower which tells the story of this important medieval castle in detail.