Budatín Castle

Budatín Castle in Žilina is one of the oldest standing monuments of the town. Its story began at the end of the thirteenth century, when it was built as a guard castle at a strategically important place at the confluence of the Váh and Kysuca rivers. This place was not chosen by chance - it was here that customs duties were collected from passing merchants. The founders of the castle were dealing with an interesting problem. They found a small hill in the middle of the marshes, which they raised and enlarged with imported clay. In this way, they actually created an artificial hill for their castle. The core of the whole complex became a massive circular tower, which to this day forms the characteristic silhouette of Budatín. In the fourteenth century, the castle was acquired by Matúš Čák Trenčiansky, known as the "Lord of the Váh and the Tatras". From 1487, the Suňog family became the owners, who rebuilt it in the Renaissance style in the sixteenth century. The individual buildings were combined into a harmonious whole with an arcaded courtyard. When the Suňog family died out in the eighteenth century, the Čáki family inherited the castle. They lived here until 1945. In 1849 the castle was burnt down by imperial soldiers during the revolution, but was later rebuilt. The last major reconstruction in the 1920s gave it its present appearance. Today Budatín serves as a museum and is a popular wedding venue. Its Baroque chapel from 1745, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, has been hosting wedding ceremonies since 2016.