Šariš Castle

Šariš Castle - the most famous castle in the region

Šarišský hradný vrch was formed as a volcano by eruptions of gushing molten lava in the geological period of the Tertiary on the sea floor and below sea level. The total area of Šariš Castle is 154 hectares, of which the area of the castle courtyard, which is a volcanic crater, reaches 4 hectares. The castle hill has always been a cult and sacred mountain, where the oldest religious ceremonies and festivals were held in the open air. Šariš Castle was one of our oldest comitatus castles.

Known already in the 12th century

The castle was built on the initiative of the King of Hungary on a strategically important position dominating the vast territory of Šariš. Its location meant not only military control of the surrounding area, but above all control over important regional and trade communications to Spiš and Poland. The importance of the location in the Bronze Age is also evidenced by the construction of a massive rampart fortification of stone and earth construction, situated along the entire perimeter of the summit plateau, which was secondarily used until the construction of a circular brick wall, according to the latest research in the 14th century. In the 11th-12th centuries, the territory of Šariš was part of the Novum Castrum Royal Comitatus with its seat in Abaújvár, from which a new political and administrative unit, the Šariš Comitatus, with its administrative seat in the castle of the same name, was carved out at the beginning of the 13th century.

Until the period before the establishment of the Šarišská stolice (comitat, county), the territory and the castle were administered by the representatives of the comitat Novum Castrum - the court spies (comes curialis). The first of them is mentioned in 1217 as Petur - curialis comes Dionýsii - the court spaniard of the Novum Castrum county of Dionysius - Peter. On the basis of archival sources and from the historical point of view, we can assume the beginnings of the construction of the castle already before 1217. The castle was founded as a royal, komitatus castle and remained so throughout the 13th century. It was the seat of administration of the royal estates and an important military-strategic point of the country's defence. King Belo IV, Stephen V and Ladislaus IV of Hungary occasionally stayed here.

Changes of owners

With the gradual feudalisation of the country, the castle passed alternately from the property of the king to the property of noble families. The Omodei family, who lost the castle after their defeat in 1312 in the Battle of Rozhanovce, are well known. The empty royal treasury forced King Sigismund of Luxemburg to give the castle to the nobles from Štítnik, later to Peter of Perín, the Šariš county governor, as a deposit in 1393. Later it belonged to the Šáš family of Solovar. After the death of King Sigismund of Luxemburg and his successor Albrecht of Habsburg, the king's widow Elisabeth recruited a mercenary captain, Jan Jiskra of Brandýs, to ensure not only the preservation of the estates located in Slovakia, but above all to protect the succession rights of her minor son Ladislaus V. Pohrobek. In March 1441, Jiskra's army conquered Šariš Castle and for the next almost 20 years he ruled it as Count and Mayor of Šariš.

Šariš Castle as a bastion of the anti-Turkish resistance

During the difficult period of the anti-Turkish battles, the situation in the country was complicated by the growing fraternal movement, of which Šariš itself became a bastion for some time. The domination of the Jiskrovs was ended in 1461, when Matthias Corvinus' army conquered the castle. The king accepted the ownership of the castle by Jan of Perín, who administered it until the middle of the 16th century. However, in the complex internal political struggle for the throne between Jan Zápoľský and Ferdinand of Habsburg, the Perény family took the wrong side, and a few years after the Battle of Mohács, the imperial army conquered it in 1537. The humanist scholar Juraj Werner was appointed captain, whose stewardship marked a considerable decline.

Both P.O. Hviezdoslav and S. Petőfi were admirers of the castle

In 1645 it became the property of the Rákoczi family, who chose the manor house situated under the castle as their residence. The castle itself became more of a military facility, with a barracks area, and gradually lost its former privileged position. The beginning of the end of the castle was the explosion of gunpowder. The castle became deserted and only symbolically passed into the ownership of the Aspremonlor, Szirtnar and Puilski families. In the 19th century, the castle ruins attracted romantically-minded students of the Evangelical College in Prešov, who spent their free time on trips to the castle. P. O. Hviezdoslav, S. Petőfi and F. Kerényi were among the castle's permanent admirers.

The present of the castle

The castle is currently being slowly restored and is open daily throughout the year. It offers a permanent guided tour service with the Donjon Tower dominating the restored tower. In good weather and visibility, visitors can enjoy views of three neighbouring landscapes, more than 6 castle ruins in the surroundings and the High Tatras.

Šariš Castle offers panoramic views of the wide surroundings of Šariš, a tour of the extensive castle grounds with an authentic atmosphere, a number of events throughout the year (medieval days, craft workshops, thematic events) and experiential activities for families, schools and tourists. It is connected to the Archaeopark in the castle's substructure, which brings the life of our ancestors closer to life and thus completes the idea of life in the past. 

A great advantage of the castle is its excellent accessibility - it is located just a few minutes from the regional city of Prešov or Košice with parking in the castle and a pleasant hiking trail to the castle.

Šariš Castle is very accessible:
- on foot (yellow hiking trail - approx. 1 hour)
- also suitable for cyclists (asphalt access road)
- by car to the car park under the castle + on foot
Access options:
- from the public transport stop „Veľký Šariš“
- from the railway station Veľký Šariš
- from Prešov (Sídlisko III - cycle route)
- from the car park under the castle
The access road is also a nature trail within a national nature reserve with 5th level of protection.

Šariš Castle is a part of Šariš Castle Road.

If you find yourself in the Šariš Region, you can also visit other castles - Saltworks, Shebes Castle, Kapušian Castle, Lipov Castle, Zborov Castle, Plaveč Castle, Kysak Castle and others.