The ruins of the Höhenburg (formerly also called "Zipser Haus", "Zipser Schloss") rise on a 634 m high rocky travertine cone, which rises from a plain between the surrounding mountains. The nearest larger town is Spišská Nová Ves (German; Zipser Neudorf)
Source: Wikipedia
The upper castle is currently closed and you can visit the grounds of the lower castle for half the entrance fee of €8.
Settled at least since the Neolithic Age, the castle hill was a center of the Celts, but was apparently abandoned in favor of a neighboring range of hills at the end of the 2nd century.
In the 12th century, a castle was built on the current site, where previously there was a fortified Slavic settlement. After the castle had withstood the Mongol invasion, it was considerably expanded around the middle of the 14th century. In the 15th century it was acquired by Johann Giskra (Jan Jiskra), who expanded the castle to its present size.
Since the 12th century, the castle has been the administrative seat of the Spiš manorial lords. In 1460 the castle became the property of the Kingdom of Hungary and came to the Zápolya four years later. Then the Thurzo received the castle and had the castle complex, which had been redesigned several times, rebuilt in the Renaissance style. After 1636, during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), the Csáky took possession of the castle. At the beginning of the 17th century there was a structural connection between the previously separate buildings. Since the complex was outdated by the changing war technology and was very uncomfortable as a place to live, the Csáky gave up the castle as a place of residence. After 1710 it burned down, and after another damaging fire in 1780 it was abandoned by the last military unit stationed there.
In 1945 after the end of the Second World War, the facility was taken into state ownership by Czechoslovakia, partially reconstructed, repaired and declared a national cultural monument in 1961.
UNESCO World Heritage plaque on the castle wall
Since 1993, Spišské Podhradie (German: Kirchdrauf) and the Holy Spirit Church in Žehra (German: Schigra) have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with Spišské Podhradie. [1]
Since the end of the 1990s and the establishment of the Republic of Slovakia, work has been carried out on further renovation and preservation of the ruins of the Spiš Castle.
The castle and its surroundings have also been repeatedly used as a backdrop for fairy tale and fantasy films.
At an altitude of 634 m, on the limestone rock, which towers over the surrounding area by 200 m, the Spiš basin dominates one of the most valuable monuments of the Spiš, the national cultural monument, the Spiš Castle (sl. Spišský hrad). It is not only evidence of the development of architecture in our country from the 12th century to the 18th century, but thanks to its area, which exceeds four hectares (exactly 41,426 m2), it ranks among the largest castle complexes in Central Europe a.
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