Cultural sightseeing in Slovakia

The lands of Slovakia keep many reminders of the old days. The country has many castles, fortresses, and churches, both well-preserved and lying in ruins. All of them mark different epochs in the history of the Slovak people. In the village of Slovenská Ľupča, there is a castle built by the Hungarian king Béla IV in the first half of the 13th century. The castle stands at the foot of the Low Tatras range and was originally used as the residence of the royal family. In the 19th century, the castle passed into state ownership and became a children's shelter. During World War II, the Nazis converted it into a prison for Slovak rebels. The castle is still in good condition, so there are regular tours of its courtyard and halls.

Devin Castle on a 200-meter cliff is one of the main attractions of Bratislava. It is the ruins of the once magnificent medieval structure, and its watchtower known as the “Maiden Tower” has spawned many legends about several maidens who jumped off it and crashed to death due to being kept locked up here. In 1809, the castle was destroyed by order of Napoleon. Visitors have a chance to touch the legend by climbing the tower overlooking the Danube River, as well as admire antiquity by walking along the river and among the ruins of the building with a proud past.

Spiš Castle standing on a hill of limestone tuff near the village of Zehra is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and occupies an area of about 9 square kilometers. It is the ruins of a 12th-century castle rebuilt in the 15th century, because of which the castle got a hint of Gothic architecture. It was later rebuilt in the Renaissance style. In the 18th century, the castle was abandoned, in the 19th century it became a refuge for soldiers, then damaged a fire, and after World War II became a national monument. A walk through the castle ruins makes an indelible impression on visitors due to the grandeur of their complicated, eventful history and the magnificence of the structure. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Levoča, opposite the Town Hall, there is the 16th-century "Cage of Shame" used for citizens' public punishment. The cage is made of wrought iron rods adorned with hearts and flowers, as if in mockery of prisoners. Drunkards, gossipers, and women who appeared on the street after sunset without being accompanied by men were put in this cage. Near the town of Topoľčany, you'll find beautiful Topoľčany Castle dating back to the 15th-16th centuries. Now in the south wing of the castle, there is a museum with a library keeping about 14 thousand books, tableware collections, and typical interiors of that time. This place is a must-see for those interested in history.

The culture of Slovakia is incredibly interesting and rich, which is reflected in many museums around the country. The Andy Warhol Museum of Contemporary Art in the town of Medzilaborce is recommended to connoisseurs of contemporary art, especially pop art, and just fans of this artist. The museum was built thanks to the many requests of Slovak artists after the death of Warhol. Some of the artist's works and his personal belongings are on display. Another interesting museum of modern art is located in Bratislava. Danubiana Museum is filled with sculptures, on its grounds there are an art cafe and a large gift shop selling books, designer jewelry, postcards, and much more.

The Slovak Technical Museum in Kosice opened in the late 40's contains more than 15,000 interesting collections and invites visitors to get acquainted with Metallurgical, Mining Artistic Crafts expositions, as well as expositions focusing on chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering. Visitors will see telegraphs and typewriters, first cameras and thermometers, steam-powered devices and much more. In the Museum you can trace the development of technology in Slovakia. For those interested in astronomy, there is a planetarium.

The Old Town Hall in Bratislava houses an interesting historical museum of interiors, Aponiho Palace, consisting of rooms furnished in the style of past centuries. In the rooms, in addition to furniture, you can see clothes, fireplaces, paintings, portraits. The walls of the ground floor are decorated with wooden panels, one of the rooms is painted in red and keeps huge mirrors. The walls of the first floor are adorned by paintings, here is the beautiful "Music Room". An audio guide is included in the ticket price.