Bojnický zámok (Bojnický Castle) is also called the Haunted Castle because of the many legends associated with the building.
At the end of April and beginning of May, the International Festival of Ghosts and Spirits takes place in Bojnický zámok. Specialized theatrical performances are held on the castle grounds.
The Bojnice Castle is situated on a hill and surrounded by the town of the same name. The citadel is one of the oldest and most valuable in Slovakia. It has been in existence for more than 10 centuries – the first mention of the Bojnice Chateau is found in historical documents dating back to 1113. Originally the Bojnice Chateau was wooden, but it was rebuilt from stone. It was originally built of wood, but later it was rebuilt of stone.
Over the centuries, the castle changed hands, and one of its owners was the famous king Matyas Hunyadi, whom everyone called Corvin. Legend has it that King Raven often came to Bojnice Castle and liked to sit in the park under a lime tree. Allegedly, this pastime helped him not only to relax, but also to think about the laws for his subjects. This tree still exists – your guide will show you the King Raven’s linden.
Over the centuries, the Haunted Castle has been rebuilt many times. But each of its major alterations did not cancel the previous architectural solution, but only supplemented it. The result is a uniquely structured castle that absorbed the best features of many architectural styles, but most of all it took from the French Romanticism.
The romantic style of the castle appeared due to the love of its last owner, Earl Jan František Pálffy. The man was in love with a noblewoman from France, who, although she reciprocated, refused to marry him. The girl did not want to live in Slovakia because it was nothing like her homeland. A desperate attempt to recreate a piece of France out of Bojnice Castle was unsuccessful.
Despite the extensive rebuilding of the castle, the beauty chose to marry someone else. The inconsolable count never married. A wreath of thorns appeared on the spire of the main tower of Bojnice Castle in honor of the last owner’s bachelor’s life.
Jan František Pálfi requested in his will that he be buried at the manor and the castle be turned into a museum. However, the wishes of the count did not come true for several decades. Since 1950 the Bojnice Chateau houses a museum of documentation and presentation of the postmodernist architectural style. The Bojnice Museum is considered to be a part of the Slovak National Museum.
The heirs of Count Pálffy managed to sell many of the castle’s exhibits at auction. Legend has it that in the 1970s a strange liquid began oozing from the sarcophagus containing the Count’s remains. The drops stopped leaking only after one of the icons, previously sold, was returned to the castle. Then other items from the count’s collections returned to the citadel.
The Bojnice Castle is open all year round. You can visit it from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (from May 1 to the end of September) or from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (from October 1 to the end of April). In summer and September, the castle is open seven days a week, while in the other months the visitors are not allowed in on Mondays.
Admission costs 8 EUR. If you want to take pictures or make videos you have to pay extra (2-5 EUR). You can visit the Haunted Castle only as part of a tour group.
You can get to Bojnice from Bratislava. Bojnice has a large balneo-mud spa, so the transport and hotel infrastructure is very well developed. The castle is located in the center of the city, it is best to rent a car for the trip.
