Pustý hrad Castle

The ruins of Pustý hrad Castle (also known as Old Zvolen Castle) are located on a partially forested hill in the Javorie Mountains near Zvolen in central Slovakia above the confluence of the Hron und Slatina rivers. The castle astonishes visitors with its scale, which is comparable to that of much more prominent Spiš Castle. Pustý hrad covers an area of nearly eight hectares and is one of the most extensive castle ruins not only in Slovakia, but in all of Europe. A monumental entrance gate with a tower was built in the southernmost section of the fortification, and the remnants of this gate have come to symbolise the premises in their entirety. A royal castle was built here in the 12th century, later serving as the seat of the royal county of Zvolen, which roughly covered the area of today’s central Slovakia. Extensive archaeological research, which has been carried out systematically at Pustý hrad Castle since 1922, has been very successful. Traces of a fortified settlement with stone walls from the early Bronze Age were discovered on the castle’s hill. The premises of Pustý hrad as well as the area where archaeological research is currently being carried out are open to the public.

Tourismus-Vertretung der Slowakischen Republik
Opernring 1/R/507
1010 Wien
Österreich
Phone: +43 1 513 95 69
office.at@slovakia.travel