Hi.
We leave for the Deserted Castle in the early evening. We went to eat in the town of Zvolen, and in order to digest it, we went to the hill above the town, where the ruins of the castle are located. Time has advanced considerably and we must hurry to avoid going down in the dark.
From the city center, we cross the railway overpass, past the winter stadium to what I would call the industrial part. Here is the forest hiking trail that we joined.
Although the climb through the leafy forest is not the smallest, we are driven forward by the curiosity of what the Deserted Castle looks like. Even now I didn't look up his photos on the Internet, as I always do. I then have a more authentic experience when we arrive at the destination.
We are quite out of breath, but we are already leaving the forest and the Deserted Castle appears in front of us. Specifically, it is the lower castle. The deserted castle is made up of two parts. Lower Castle, Upper Castle and connecting part.
It was one of the big castles and, with an area of 4.7 hectares, it was one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe.
The entrance gate used to be walked along the path that skirted the walls. It was an excellent defensive solution. By the time the attackers reached the main gate, they faced fire from the ramparts along the road.
The castle hill was inhabited a long time ago. The medieval walls were built on a prehistoric stone rampart. Objects from the Late Bronze Age were found here.
Even then, people took advantage of this strategic location and the view of the surroundings that this hill offers. The view of the town of Zvolen from the Deserted Castle is really worth it.
We see several wooden statues in the castle. Monarchs are depicted on them. And so we get to know the history of this place step by step.
The creation of the first medieval fortification on the castle hill dates back to the 12th century. Real construction started here after the invasion of the Mongols. The fortifications were insufficient and the castles had to be strengthened. Most likely, at that time they also built fortifications in the upper and lower parts of the castle.
After a steep hill we reach the Upper Castle.
Here, in addition to the wooden statues of the monarchs, we also get to know the cannon, which seems to be ready to defend the castle even today.
The deserted castle did not fulfill its mission for long. In the 15th century, the troops of Ján Jiskra from Brandýs settled in the castle. At that time, military clashes were taking place in Hungary between Ján Jiskro of Brandýs and Ján Huňady. It was Ján Huňady's troops that were supposed to burn down the castle in 1491. The destroyed castle was never repaired and it became a ruin.
Maybe they besieged the castle and conquered it with the help of such mining machines. You can also see them at the Upper Castle.
The first mining machine you see in the picture is a catapult. The attacking army could use this helper to throw heavy stones at the castle walls. They broke the walls bit by bit, and when a breakthrough occurred, the attacking army rushed into the castle.
The second machine is a battering ram. This was primarily used to roll out or break the gate. The attacking army pulled the battering ram in front of the castle gate. Inside, the battering ram has a hard wooden trunk. The attackers shook him up and down so that he banged on the door. When they were broken out, they had a clear way inside.
The upper castle is the best preserved or better said the most reconstructed.
As you can see, we did absolutely amazing. In the morning, we had no idea that we would watch the sunset at the Deserted Castle. The view of the forests over which the sun sets is amazing.
And so we just stand and enjoy this experience, an unrepeatable moment to the fullest.
It's getting dark and we have to go back to the city through the forest. We rush to use the last light we still have.
Thank you