Liptovský Hrádok – Stumbling Upon a Castle
Nestled in the foothills of central Slovakia, where the terrain will soon turn into the mountainous Low Tatras, this castle (and town) are located at 637 meters above sea level. It is also located near the confluence of the rivers Váh and Belá, an idyllic location if there ever was one. I had park by the side of the road here after seeing the castle while on my way to a mountain pass and I am glad I did.
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The Town
Rural Slovakia and its forest are far way from the hustle and bustle of the big cites, and this area in particular has a certain tranquility about it. The town took the name of the nearby castle, a structure that was constructed for use of the forestry commission, hunters and the Catholic Church.
There is little to see here ans the town was unremarkable until the 18th century when it served as a salt processing center for Solivar Salt Works in nearby(ish) Presov.
The Castle
The first thing that will catch your eye is the beautiful First World War Monument located by the lake.
The lake was once a moat, until the castle received a facelift in the 17th century under a new owner, Nicholas Sandorf. He married, the young widow of the previous owner, Magdalena Zai and ttogether they remodeled the property in renaissance style. Hence the romantic features. Oddly enough Nicholas soon died and Magdalena got married 3 more times. None of her husbands made it past 4 years of marriage, yet all apparently died of natural causes (there is no evidence otherwise).
Today the property is a hotel called Grand Caslte, where you can book a room or just a tour of the property. For more info click here.
Behing the caslte lies a big rock you can climb for views of the property along with the mountains in the background.
