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Zvolen Castle and the Slovak National Gallery

The dominant and inseparable symbol of the central Slovak town of Zvolen is the Zvolen Castle standing on the bank of the Slatina River. This medieval castle represents currently the richest picture gallery in Slovakia.

Zvolen Castle was built by the Hungarian King Ludovít of Anjou in the last third of the 14th century on the site of an older curacy. Originally, it served as an occasional residence of the court and from 1424 it belonged to the Hungarian queens. It was therefore one of the few Gothic castles designed primarily for comfortable living with minimal strategic or defensive significance – at the time of its construction it was located in the safe interior of Hungary.

Nowadays, the main part of the palace houses the Slovak National Gallery exhibitions and depositories, the focus of which is on the Picture Gallery – a collection of European painting from the 16th to the 19th century. The permanent exhibition includes copies of works by Master Paul of Levoča, transfers of Gothic wall paintings and a selection of works of European art under the title Old European Art.

During the year, the castle also hosts various historical events such as the Zvolen Castle Games, Night Parades, Miracles, and Forgotten Crafts.

In 2020, the Castle Café was opened in the courtyard of the castle, which offers refreshments to visitors. The café also serves as an information point where visitors can learn about other tips for excursions in the region and about the mysterious castles of the Pohronie Castle Route.

Interesting facts

The building belongs to the so-called castle castles; the regular rectangular plan has four two-storey wings grouped around a central courtyard. The ground floor of the castle was mainly used for economic and storage purposes. Residential and ceremonial areas were concentrated on the first floor around the castle chapel. With the decline of precious metal mining in mining towns and after the relocation of the county offices to Banská Bystrica (1789), the castle gradually lost its original significance. In 1805, the then owners, the Esterházy family, sold it to the state and its empty rooms housed a court, a prison and a tobacco warehouse.

How to reach us?

Information

Information about opening hours and tickets sng.sk/en/zvolensky-zamok
Phone number +421 45 2453 000