The Krásna Hôrka Castle ( sk, Hrad Krásna Hôrka, hu, Krasznahorka vára) is a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, built on a hilltop overlooking the village of
Krásnohorské Podhradie near
Rožňava
Rožňava ( hu, Rozsnyó, german: Rosenau, Latin: ''Rosnavia'') is a town in Slovakia, approximately by road from Košice in the Košice Region, and has a population of 19,182.
The town is an economic and tourist centre of the Gemer. Rožňava ...
, in
Košice Region
The Košice Region ( sk, Košický kraj, , hu, Kassai kerület; uk, Кошицький край) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. The region was first established in 1923 and its present borders were established in 1996. It c ...
. The first recorded mention of the castle was in 1333. In 1961 Krásna Hôrka was designated a National Cultural Monument of the Slovak Republic. It was said to be one of the country's best-preserved
castles. On 10 March 2012 the castle was extensively damaged by fire, due to some teens carelessly discarding a cigarette which set the grass on fire.
[
]
Etymology
The name means "a beautiful mountain" ( sk, krásna - beautiful, ''hôrka'' - a little mountain).
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
), because the karst is in the neighbourhood.
History
The castle was built in the 13th century by the Hungarian Ákos brothers["Filip and Detre Szárs from the Ákos family]
/ref> on a trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...
leading from Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
through Košice
Košice ( , ; german: Kaschau ; hu, Kassa ; pl, Коszyce) is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of app ...
to Spiš
Spiš (Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
and today's Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
.[ In 1578 the castle passed into the hands of he HungarianPéter Andrássy and remained in the possession of the Andrássy family up until 1918 (the year the ]First Czechoslovak Republic
The First Czechoslovak Republic ( cs, První československá republika, sk, Prvá česko-slovenská republika), often colloquially referred to as the First Republic ( cs, První republika, Slovak: ''Prvá republika''), was the first Czechoslov ...
was founded).[
During 2010 and 2011 the castle underwent renovation and was re-opened to public in April, 2011.]
2012 fire
On 10 March 2012, the castle was badly damaged by fire. The fire was caused by two young boys who attempted to light up a cigarette and accidentally lit grass on the hill, from where it spread to the castle.Daniel Lipšic
Daniel Lipšic (born 8 July 1973) is a Slovak politician and Jurist. He is a former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and former Minister of Interior. Until 28 May 2012 he was a member of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), in whic ...
, "...the vast majority of exhibits remained undamaged".[ (''"Drtivá většina exponátů je naštěstí nepoškozená..."'')] Daniel Krajcer
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...
, Minister of Culture, commented that only the upper part of the castle (including collections) had been destroyed.Slovak National Museum
The Slovak National Museum ( sk, Slovenské národné múzeum) is the most important institution focusing on scientific research and cultural education in the field of museology in Slovakia. Its beginnings "are connected with the endeavour of the ...
has stated that 90% of the collections were undamaged.
Gallery
File:Krásna Hôrka, vstupná brána (2021).jpg
File:Krásna Hôrka 1.JPG
File:Krasznahorkacivertanlegi1.jpg
File:Krásna Hôrka 4.JPG
File:Krásna Hôrka 10.JPG
File:Krásna Hôrka (124).jpg
File:KrasnaHorFotoThaleTamas.JPG,
File:Krasznahorka1FotoThalerTamas.jpg,
File:Krasznahorka5FotoThalerTamas.jpg,
File:Krasznahorka11FotoThalerTamas.jpg,
File:Krasznahorka13FotoThalerTamas.jpg
File:Krasznahorka9FotoThalerTamas.jpg
File:Krasznahorka15FotoThalerTamas.jpg
Notes
References
External links
Krásna Hôrka Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krasna Horka
Castles in Slovakia
13th-century architecture in Slovakia
Andrássy family
Museums in Košice Region
History museums in Slovakia
Buildings and structures in Košice Region
Tourist attractions in Košice Region
Historic house museums in Europe