Panský pivovar Bojnice: unfiltered craft beer below the castle

Beer that came back to the castle

Bojnice is a spa town in the upper Nitra valley at the foot of the Strážov Hills, famous for the fairy-tale castle of the Pálffy family. The castle was always a place of feasts, and according to the brewers the first brewery appeared here at the beginning of the 17th century in a building called “Pod klenbami” (Under the Vaults). After a fire in 1866 the tradition disappeared for a long time. In 2016 it was revived in the historic premises of the former Pálffy stables on Hurbanovo Square — and so Panský pivovar (the Lord’s Brewery) was born.

The brewhouse is run by people who started out as homebrewers. Founder Jozef Píš was brewing beer in pots in his youth and in 2015 earned a brewmaster’s certificate; his favourite is the pale lager Orol. Marek Staňo came from homebrewing competitions and has been bringing home medals from Slovak beer contests every year since.

Why go

• Taste beer straight from the tanks. All the beer is unfiltered and unpasteurised, served in a hall with a view of the brewhouse.
• Sit in historic interiors. Timber beams, a gallery above the hall and a cosy courtyard terrace; in summer there are free acoustic concerts, in autumn music quizzes.
• Take beer home. Bottled beer, party kegs and KEG barrels are on sale, as well as branded merchandise; there is also an online shop.

What to taste

The core range is named after birds and animals. Výr 10° is a light pale draught beer (4.3%) with classic Czech Žatec hops, first place at the Slovak Beer Crown contest in 2020. Sokol 11° is a Vienna-style amber lager with a hint of caramel, winner of the 2024 Crown in its category and a good match for game and hard cheese. Orol 12° is a classic Pilsner-type pale lager, double-decoction brewed and matured for six weeks, silver at the 2023 Slovak Craft Beer Cup.

For fans of modern styles there is the American pale ale Páv 12° with Mosaic hops, the sour ale Škorec 10° with raspberries and blackcurrants, the strong West Coast IPA Sviňucha 17° (8.3%) and the hazy Kaloň 13° with New Zealand and American hops. The brewery keeps its “on tap now” list updated on its website. The restaurant serves a daily lunch menu and seasonal dishes with the beer.

Practical information

Address: Hurbanovo námestie 40, 972 01 Bojnice — in the town centre, a few minutes’ walk from the castle. It is 3 km from Prievidza (city bus) and about 70 km from Trenčín. Free guest parking is behind the building.

Hours (as of October 2026): Monday–Thursday 10:30–22:00, Friday 10:30–23:00, Saturday 11:00–23:00, Sunday 11:00–21:30. Table bookings: +421 908 156 862; beer orders, parties and company events: +421 907 243 794, [email protected].

Brewhouse tours are not advertised separately on the website — arrange a group visit in advance. The place is flat and in the town centre, so it suits everyone. Bojnice is easy to combine into one trip: the castle or the zoo in the morning, a stroll through the spa park after lunch and a flight of small glasses at the brewery in the evening. If you are driving, take the beer home in bottles.

Nearby

• Bojnice Castle — the romantic Pálffy castle with exhibitions and night tours.
• Bojnice Zoo — the oldest zoo in Slovakia, in the park below the castle.
• Bojnice spa — thermal springs and a spa park close to the centre.

Official website: pivovarbojnice.sk

Photos: pivovarbojnice.sk.