Castles of Slovakia
Kežmarok Castle
| Location | Kežmarok town, Easern Slovakia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1462 |
| Access | direclty from the town center |
| Advantage | interesting and easily accessible castle, in good conditions |
| Distance from Bratislava | 390 km, Distance from Poprad: 13 km |
Kežmarok Castle is quite well preserved. It lies in the town centre. Its construction started in 1462 on the Imrich Zápoľský´s command. Originally built in order to protect the city against the enemy, it is surrounded by fortification. Thököly family, who became the owner in 1583, rebuilt the Castle in Renaissance style and constructed an Early Baroque Castle Chapel. The Castle was many times destroyed by fire and reconstructed. The reconstruction during the Romantic period in the twentieth century was the last one. Since 1931 it has been home to the City Museum. According to the legend, a Black Lady who keeps guard over the Caste key still haunts its corridors. Several memorials commemorate the executions of partisans held by the German army during the World War II.
Kežmarok is Doctor Vojtech Alexander’s home town - the founder of the radiology in the Kingdom of Hungary. He owned an X-ray apparatus used for making first X-ray pictures in Slovakia. The apparatus is exhibited in the Kežmarok Castle. Visitors can admire the building from the outside; the interior is also accessible. The Castle shelters a permanent museum exhibition.
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