Orava Castle

Orava Castle, built on a 112-meter-tall hill above the river Orava in Oravský Podzámok is one of the greatest tourist attractions of northern Slovakia. It was built in the place of an older wooden hillfort after the Mongol invasion in 1241. Through the following centuries, this small fortress transformed into an extensive castle structure with 154 rooms. The castle then held the position of a county castle with the seat of Orava administration headquarters that controlled almost the whole Orava region. Both the exterior and the interior of the castle carry the elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and even contemporary architecture. Castle’s development is therefore an on-going process.

In 1800, Orava Castle was destroyed by fire – the greatest tragedy of its architectural development, and it eventually became completely useless for its owners. It was only after the end of the Second World War when the castle underwent general restoration and was saved from an inevitable destruction.

Orava Castle holds various exhibitions. The Citadel – the oldest architecture of the Upper Castle, hosts the Archaeological Exhibition and Mediateque (Media Library) presenting the outline of movies set and produced at Orava Castle. Ethnographic Exhibition and Natural History Exhibition are also included in our tours. The main part of the tour is represented by the Historical Exhibition of Period Furnishing in medieval and Renaissance interiors, from which the Chapel of St. Michael and the Treasury in the Lower Castle stand out.

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