Starý hrad (Old Castle)

The oldest guardian of the Strečno Gorge

Starý hrad (Old Castle), known locally as Starhrad and in the past as Varín (Warna), is the ruin of a medieval castle on a granite crag on the right bank of the Váh, east of Žilina. It stands at 475 m above the Domašín meander (Domašínsky meander) of the Váh, directly opposite Strečno Castle, and together they form the gateway of the Strečno Gorge. Since 2017 the ruins have been a national cultural monument of Slovakia.

People lived on this hill as early as the La Tène period: archaeologists have found bronze and ceramic artefacts of the Púchov culture here. The castle itself was built to guard the old road along the Váh near a ford where the route crossed from one bank to the other. Historians date its origin to before 1235, the reign of Andrew II, and it is first recorded in 1241 in a charter of King Béla IV. It was called “Old” only after Strečno was built nearby and took over its role. Owners included ancestors of the Balassa family, Matthew Csák (Matúš Čák) and later the king; from 1443 it belonged mostly to the Pongrác family (apart from periods of fighting over it, such as 1529–1553, when it was contested by Mikuláš Kostka of Sedlec), who added a late Gothic palace at the end of the 15th century. In the 16th century the Pongrácz moved to a comfortable Renaissance manor house in Krasňany, and from the early 18th century, when the last guards left, the castle fell into decay.

On 31 August 1944, during the Slovak National Uprising, a German battalion occupied the ruins. Soldiers of the 1st Czechoslovak Brigade had been ordered to take up positions in the castle, but did not carry out the order. From here it shelled the positions of French partisans, who suffered heavy losses and had to retreat down the Váh valley.

What to see

• The elongated plan of the castle, following the shape of the crag: the buildings stretch along the ridge from the tower to the outer bailey.
• A horseshoe-shaped tower on the highest point of the crag, preserved roughly to the height of its second floor.
• Remains of the palace with window openings and a fragment of a Gothic oriel.
• The outer bailey with a neck ditch and foundations of farm buildings.
• The view of the Domašín meander – one of the finest panoramas of the Váh valley.

Practical information

You cannot drive up to the castle. From Nezbudská Lúčka railway station, walk along the track and the Váh to the short Hradské valley, from where a marked hiking trail climbs to the castle hill and continues to the ridge of the Krivánska Fatra. From Strečno you can cross to this bank of the Váh by ferry or by footbridge. The crag is steep, so wear sturdy shoes and take care, especially with children; the path is not suitable for pushchairs.

Entry is free, with no tickets or opening hours. Since 2018 the civic association Castrum Warna has been rescuing the ruins, with conservation work under way since 2019, so some walls may be surrounded by scaffolding – do not cross the barriers. It is best combined with a visit to Strečno: the two castles are in full view of each other, and the ferry and footbridge make an easy half-day loop.

Nearby

On the opposite bank stands the restored Strečno Castle with its museum. Further east lie Terchová, Vrátna dolina and the Jánošíkove diery gorges.

Photos: Schliemann, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Rudo Mlich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Photograph: Kateryna Baiduzha, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; VargaA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Fallaner, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.