Vígľaš Castle

Hi

During the long weekend, my friends and I went on a trip. Our goal is the city of Zvolen and its surroundings. However, we have one stop on the way before we arrive at the accommodation. It is the Vígľaš castle. Today, in this article, I will guide you through this historical place through text and photos.

We park the car near the castle. We enter through the main gate and enter the large courtyard where the restaurant is located. We are trying to figure out where we can buy tickets. we immediately noticed the reception sign. Today, the castle is a hotel, and if you are interested, you can stay here. At least for a few days you will be able to say that you lived in the castle.

But we're going to do it gradually. A long time ago, there was a Slavic castle in this place. The castle hill was the perfect place to defend against enemies. Later, monks built a monastery here. It is believed that it was inhabited by the order of the Templars, later the Johannites, or belonged to King Charles Robert.

He founded the first European secular order in 1325 - the Order of the Knights of St. George. His son Louis I becomes the Grand Master of this order. He is building a castle residence in Vígľaš.

It seems that the castle in Vígľaš is destined to be the seat of various orders. Another King Sigismund of Luxemburg founded the Order of the Dragon in the Víľaš hunting castle. It is here that he and his wife Barbara Celjska accept members and create new alliances.

The surrounding forests, rich in game, were literally ideal for relaxation and hunting. Another well-known king, Matej Korvín, also spent a lot of time at the castle and in these forests.

The idyll of a more peaceful royal residence, where people hunted, drank and feasted, changed in the 16th century. Hungary was threatened by Turkish raids and the castle turned into an anti-Turkish fortress. Defensive towers and new fortifications were built. They maintained a permanent military garrison here.

In 1605, the castle was seized by rebel troops led by Štefan Bočkaj. It was only for a short time. Later, the castle belonged to several feudal families. The last owners, who rebuilt the castle into a castle mansion, were the Esterházy family.

The Second World War was fatal to the castle. During it, the castle was significantly damaged and became a ruin. It is a pity that it was not preserved for us in its original beauty.

The castle fell into disrepair for a long time. Only in 2007 was it bought by a private investor, who built it into a modern hotel. As we can see in the photos, history alternates with modern elements.

I personally have mixed feelings about this place. On the one hand, I like history and I would like historical monuments to remain monuments, or to use medieval techniques to repair them, which is not the case in this case. The investor, on the other hand, invested considerable resources to build something out of the ruins. He developed tourism in the area and provided work to several local residents.

And what do you think about such restoration of monuments? Is it good or rather harmful?

The interior of the castle is decorated in hunting style. In the corridors we can admire several wonderful catches. Lovers of hunting trophies will definitely find something here.

In addition, you can view here, for example, photo documentation from the restoration of the castle.

As I wrote. I have mixed feelings about this place, but I am glad that I was here and could see Vígľa Castle with my own eyes.

Thank you