Plavecký hrad, Medieval castle ruins in Little Carpathians, Slovakia
Plavecký hrad is a medieval castle ruin perched on a limestone hill in the Little Carpathians, Slovakia. The surviving stone walls of the keep and Renaissance artillery bastions reveal the layers of its military use.
The castle was founded between 1256 and 1273 under King Béla IV of Hungary and served long as a border fortress. Imperial troops occupied it in 1707 and ended its military role.
The castle displays multiple building periods in its stonework, from Romanesque and Gothic styles to Renaissance elements from the 16th century. You can see these different architectural phases clearly when exploring the remaining walls.
You reach the castle best by hiking for about one hour from Plavecké Podhradie railway station along the blue-marked trail. Good footwear and some stamina help for the climb to the hilltop.
Close to the ruins lies the Plavecká cave system with its underground landscape, which together with Celtic fortification remains on nearby Pohanská peak forms a larger archaeological area. This combination of subterranean and mountain fortifications makes the place an unusual heritage of multiple cultures.
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