Šariš Castle near Prešov

A royal castle above the Torysa valley

Šariš Castle (Šarišský hrad) is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Slovakia: its built-up area exceeds 2.7 ha. The ruins stand on a conical andesite hill 570 m high above the small town of Veľký Šariš, about 5 km from Prešov. The hill was settled as early as the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and around the turn of the eras, and the castle was begun in the 13th century to guard the trade route along the Torysa valley; it is first mentioned in 1245 as “castrum Sarus”. From the start it was a royal castle where monarchs stayed, and from the 1240s the seat of the counts of Šariš.

In the early 14th century it was seized by the Aba-Omodej family, enemies of King Charles Robert, but after the Battle of Rozhanovce in 1312 it became royal again. In 1405 King Sigismund gave it to Peter Perényi; in 1441–1460 it was held by the captains of John Jiskra of Brandýs. After the Battle of Mohács the Habsburgs rebuilt it as a powerful military fortress with a permanent garrison of about 200 foot soldiers. From 1642 it belonged to the Rákóczi family; in 1660 the powder store exploded, and in 1687 the castle burned and was never restored. It has been a national cultural monument since 1963, and the whole castle hill a national nature reserve since 1964.

What to see

• The square donjon tower (13.2 × 13.2 m, walls 4.5 m thick) — from it you can see the High Tatras, the Levoča Hills, Čergov and the Slanské Hills, as well as the ruins of the neighbouring Kapušany and Kamenica castles.
• Walls with fourteen bastions, built of local andesite with sandstone quoins.
• A wooden bridge without a single nail — an 11 m oak bridge to the upper castle, built in 2022 by master carpenter Jaroslav Hyrja using traditional joinery; the bridge is barrier-free.
• A permanent exhibition, guided tours and events for children — from the autumn holidays to St Nicholas and New Year’s Eve.

Practical information

Enter “Hrad Šariš parkovisko pre verejnosť” into your navigation. From Prešov drive to Veľký Šariš, turn towards Medzany after the Church of St James and the town hall, and at the cross turn right to the car park below the castle. From there a tarmac road with yellow waymarks climbs to the castle in 40–45 minutes: gently at first, then more steeply after the rest spot “Chyžka” with its shelter. Along the way are 11 information boards about the hill’s nature, benches and fireplaces. Without a car: from Prešov take city bus no. 45 to the terminus “Veľký Šariš”, then walk 55–60 minutes; or take a regional bus to the stop “Veľký Šariš, pod hradom”.

From May to October the castle is staffed Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, and from November to April on Saturdays and Sundays 10:00–16:00; on other days the site is open but without ticket office or services (as of October 2026). Contribution to upkeep: courtyard €3 for adults, €2 for children, students and over-60s, family €6; tower €2.

Nearby

Further north are medieval Bardejov, a UNESCO site, and the open-air museum in Bardejovské Kúpele; to the west, in Spiš, is Spiš Castle.

Official website: hradsaris.sk

Photos: VargaA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Infitter, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ludmik, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Kateryna Baiduzha, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; heb@Wikimedia Commons (mail), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.