Kežmarok Castle

A town fortress in Spiš

Kežmarok Castle (Kežmarský hrad) stands in Kežmarok on Castle Square (Hradné námestie). According to the Kežmarok Museum it is the only fully preserved castle in the Spiš region. Unlike mountain strongholds, it stands on level ground right in the town, and its white walls with Renaissance crenellated attics stand out against the High Tatras.

The first written record of the castle dates from 1463. It was built and first owned by the brothers Imre and István Zápolya (Zápoľský). In 1528 it passed to the Łaski family, in 1571 to Ján Rueber, and from 1579 to 1684 four generations of the Thököly family owned it. The best known of them is Imre Thököly, a native of Kežmarok and leader of the anti-Habsburg revolt of the Hungarian nobility. The last owner was Ferdinand Rueber, and in 1702 the town bought the castle. The first museum exhibitions opened here in 1931.

Many legends are linked to the castle — about treasure in secret underground passages, the unhappy loves of its lords and the Black Lady. The guides are happy to tell them.

What to see

The guided tour takes about an hour and covers the historical exhibitions of the Kežmarok Museum:

• prehistoric and medieval settlement of Kežmarok and the town's development from the 13th to the 19th century;
• the Thököly family, guilds and crafts (Kežmarok had 36 guilds), weapons and armour, the shooting brotherhood founded in 1510 and an old pharmacy from neighbouring Ľubica;
• Dr Vojtech Alexander, founder of radiology in Hungary;
• historical portraits, the townspeople's relationship with the High Tatras, the town's Jewish community;
• the Baroque castle chapel of 1657–1658, built for Mária Gyulaffy, who died aged 22 and lies in its crypt (legend says a secret tunnel led from there to the manor in Strážky);
• the dungeon tower, recalling the fate of Beata Łaska, imprisoned by her own husband, and the lookout tower with views of the town and the Tatras.

A separate exhibition of historic vehicles and fire engines includes a Škoda 154 fire truck (1929) — according to the museum, the only one of its kind in Europe. The castle survived major fires in 1865 and 1901 and was restored after each. In summer the courtyard hosts festivals and fairs, and there is a bistro. Children enjoy it too: walls, towers, legends and a spacious square in front of the castle.

Practical information

Getting there. Kežmarok is 14 km from Poprad (about 15 minutes by car; there are also buses and trains), and about 59 km from Zakopane via the Łysa Polana border crossing and Ždiar. The castle is a few minutes' walk from the town centre and about 10 minutes from the wooden articular church.

Hours and tickets. The castle can be visited only with a guide, with tours every full hour. From May to September it is open daily 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00), from October to April Monday to Friday 10:00–15:00 (last entry 14:00); it is closed at weekends and on public holidays in that period. Lunch break 12:00–13:00. Adult tickets cost €10, children, pupils aged 6–19 and seniors €5, family tickets €20. A tour in a foreign language must be booked in advance; otherwise you get printed texts or the online guide guide.kezmarok.com on your smartphone. Organised groups book by phone on +421 918 742 726 or online.

Nearby

In Kežmarok, do not miss the UNESCO-listed wooden articular church. Half an hour's drive away are Belianska Cave and the Goral village of Ždiar, and on the way to Levoča Spišská Sobota with the Church of St George.

Official website: kezmarok.com

Photos: SchiDD, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Photograph: Jano Gallo (talk), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Karelj, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons; Juraj76, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Henryk Bielamowicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing. Mgr. Jozef Kotulič, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.