Orava Castle

Orava Castle grew on a rocky cliff above the Orava River in the middle of the thirteenth century. Originally there was a wooden fortress, which was replaced by a stone castle after the Tatar invasion. It was gradually expanded and passed through the hands of several important noblemen and rulers - among them were Matúš Čák Trenčiansky, Charles Róbert and the Turz family, who significantly rebuilt the castle. Since 1370 it served as a county castle and administered almost the entire Orava region. The complex of buildings extends over three levels and combines various building styles - from Romanesque to Baroque. In 1626, on the initiative of the daughters of Juraj Turza, the so-called Orava Composite Estate was born here - a joint noble ownership of the castle. The castle survived a fire in 1800 and war disturbances. In World War II, the Germans used it as an observation post, but after an artillery strike they withdrew so that the castle would not be destroyed. Extensive restoration took place between 1953 and 1968 and since then it has been the seat of the Orava Museum. Today it is one of the most visited monuments in northern Slovakia.