Nestville Distillery, Hniezdne — Home of the First Slovak Whisky

Hniezdne is an old little town in the upper Poprad valley, a few kilometres from Stará Ľubovňa. It was first mentioned in writing in 1286; in 1412 King Sigismund of Luxembourg granted it the rights of a free royal town, including the right to make and sell drinks, and in 1562 the Polish king Sigismund II Augustus confirmed them. Distilling became a real craft here: according to records from 1828, Hniezdne had up to 110 owners of copper stills.

This tradition is the basis for BGV, a company founded in 2001, which built the Nestville Distillery here. In 2008 the first whisky spirit was laid down to mature in oak casks, and in 2012 the first bottle of Nestville Whisky — the first Slovak whisky — was released. In 2019, according to the producer, the eight-year-old Nestville Master Blender 2017 was named European whisky of the year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Besides whisky, the distillery makes vodka, gin and fruit spirits.

What to see and do

• Guided exhibition (about 60 minutes). The historical section covers folk crafts connected with distilling, the modern one shows one of Europe’s most up-to-date spirit plants, and the traditional one leads to a tasting hall with a large hand-carved wooden panel and to the warehouses where whisky matures in casks. At the end everyone tastes the first Slovak whisky, Nestville.
• Extra tastings. The extended tasting covers four of the distillery’s products (about 30 minutes); the Whisky Tour five kinds of Nestville Whisky; the Whisky Tour Limited four limited whiskies, from the Black&White blend to a 63.9% cask strength.
• Your own bottle. In the tasting hall you can fill a bottle of Nestville Whisky Single Barrel yourself, from a single white-oak cask; the label shows the serial number, cask number, maturation date and age. One cask yields about 430 bottles.
• Company shop at the end of the tour, and in Nestville Park a farm with a riding school.

Practical information

Getting there. The distillery is in Hniezdne (Hniezdne 471), about 5 km from Stará Ľubovňa and about 45 km from Poprad by road via Kežmarok and Podolínec. A car is the most convenient option; Nestville Park next to the distillery also has a chocolate shop, a tavern and a farm.

Hours (as of October 2026). From May to September the exhibition is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00; tours start every full hour, the last at 17:00. Outside these hours (and therefore in the off-season) only groups that have booked in advance are admitted, so in autumn and winter be sure to phone or book online.

Prices. Entry to the exhibition costs €10 for adults and €7.50 for seniors over 60, children aged 5–17 and disabled visitors; a family ticket is €27.50. Extra tastings cost €5, €10 or €15 per person; filling your own Single Barrel bottle costs €23.99. Only adults taste the spirits, and it is worth deciding in advance who will drive.

Tip. The tour itself takes about an hour, and roughly an hour and a half with an extra tasting. It is easy to combine in one day with a visit to the castle in Stará Ľubovňa and a swim in Vyšné Ružbachy. A ticket for a specific time can be booked online through the Nestville Park booking system.

Nearby

Very close are Ľubovňa Castle and the open-air museum in Stará Ľubovňa. After the tour you can relax in the pools of the Vyšné Ružbachy spa.

Official website: nestville.sk

Photos: nestville.sk.