Muráň Castle

A castle above Gemer

Muráň Castle (Muránsky hrad, officially Muráň) is the ruin of a medieval castle on the summit of Cigánka (935 m) at the southern edge of the Muránska planina plateau, above the village of Muráň, 9 km north-west of Revúca. It is the third-highest castle in Slovakia. It was built in the 13th century as a royal fortress guarding the road from Gemer to Liptov and Zvolen; Muráň is first recorded in 1271. In the first half of the 15th century the castle was rebuilt, and a palace with a chapel, residential and farm buildings rose in the huge courtyard enclosed by walls with towers.

Muráň’s history is unusually colourful. In the 15th century the troops of Jan Jiskra and the Bratříci used it as a major base. From 1529 to 1549 it belonged to the robber knight Matej Bašo, who raided estates and villages in Malohont, Gemer and Spiš and burned Levoča and Dobšiná; he is also linked with the destruction of the Carthusian monastery at Kláštorisko. In 1549 imperial troops took the castle and Bašo was killed while fleeing. Later Muráň passed to the Széchy family. Its most famous owner was Mária Széchy, nicknamed the “Venus of Muráň” for her courage and beauty; she married Ferenc Wesselényi, organiser of the anti-Habsburg conspiracy, and after his death defended the castle until imperial troops took it after five days. From 1720 Muráň belonged to the Koháry family and later to the Coburgs, until 1945. The castle burned twice in the 18th century and was abandoned by its end. The siege is described in one of the oldest surviving Slovak songs, the “Song of Muráň Castle” by Martin Bosňák.

What to see

• The Gothic gate tower with a stone sedilia seat inside, restored together with the gate in 2005.
• Remains of walls, towers and buildings in the vast courtyard, and fragments of Renaissance sgraffito.
• Viewing platforms towards Muráň, over the valley and the town of Revúca, and to the eastern lowlands.
• The 1883 Coburg memorial in the saddle below the castle.

Practical information

Only footpaths lead to the castle. The most direct is the red trail straight from Muráň village: about 555 m of ascent, 80–100 minutes up; a nature trail runs along it. An easier route is the yellow trail from the Predná Hora saddle on the Muráň – Červená Skala road, past the Wesselényi cave. Another popular option starts at the Bobačka waterfall above Muránska Huta and follows red and blue markings across the Veľká lúka meadow, where semi-wild Noric horses graze. From the hut below the castle to the gate is a short but steep climb of about 90 m.

Entry is free. The castle lies in Muránska planina National Park, so stay on marked trails. In 2026 the municipality of Muráň is carrying out rescue works on the walls (the “People and Castles” project), so some areas may be fenced off. In late June the Muráň Castle Games take place here (27 June in 2026). The village has a museum with an interactive display on the castle’s history and a bike rental. The route suits fit families; it is not suitable for pushchairs.

Nearby

In Gemer, also see the Ochtiná Aragonite Cave, the Betliar manor house and the Dobšiná Ice Cave on the edge of the Slovak Paradise.

Official website: regiongemer.sk

Photos: Jozef76, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Canon555, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Daniel Baránek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Thomas Ender, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.