Liptovský Hrádok (; ; ) is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in northern
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, in the region of
Liptov
Liptov () is a historical and geographical region in central Slovakia with around 140,000 inhabitants. The area is also known by the German name ''Liptau'', the Hungarian ''Liptó'', the Latin name ''Liptovium'' and the Polish ''Liptów''.
Etym ...
.
History
First mentioned in 1341, Liptovský Hrádok was named after the nearby castle. The castle, also known as Liptovský Hrádok, was built originally for use of the forestry commission, hunters of the area and the Catholic Church. The castle was later modified and furnished in the style of
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
. The name of the town and the castle literally means "little castle of Liptov". A salt processing facility was constructed in 1728 to collect salt for the Solivar Salt Works which now is part of
Prešov
Prešov () is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region () and Šariš. With a population of approximately 85,000 for the city, and in total more than 100,000 with the urban area, it is the second-largest city i ...
, a Slovak city further to the East. This helped Liptovský Hrádok rise to some prominence in the region. The population centre of the town was the main street, which runs from the castle to the south continuing along to the
Váh
The Váh (; , ; ; Wag
w Słowniku geograficznym Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich (''in Geograph ...
River and the hamlet of Prekážka. Before the establishment of independent
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
in 1918, Liptovský Hrádok was part of
Liptó County
Liptó County (, , , , ) was an administrative county ( comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in northern Slovakia.
Geography
Liptó county shared borders with the Austrian land Galicia and the Hungarian counties Árva ...
within the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the
Slovak Republic
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's ...
.
Geography and climate
The region of Liptovský Hrádok is bordered by the
Low Tatras
The Low Tatras or Low Tatra (; ) is a mountain range of the Inner Western Carpathians in central Slovakia.
It is located south of the Tatras proper, from which it is separated by the valleys of the Váh and Poprad rivers (the Liptov-Spiš ...
to the south and partially bordered by the
West
West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
and
High Tatras
The High Tatras or High Tatra Mountains (; ; ,'' Vysoki Tatry''; ; ), are a mountain range along the border of northern Slovakia in the Prešov Region, and southern Poland in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. They are a range of the Tatra Mountains ...
. The town is situated in the middle of the Liptov Basin created by the
Váh River. It is in the centre of northern Liptov and lies on the confluence of the rivers Váh and
Belá. The average altitude of the town is 637 meters
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. Liptovský Hrádok has a moist warm climate with an average temperature about , while the more mountainous parts are colder. The temperature is about in the summer and in the winter about . Rainfall is very frequent in this part and the weather often changes quickly. Snowfall stays on the ground approximately 140 days during the year.
Facts about Liptovský Hrádok:
* Liptovsky Hradok had 731 inhabitants in 1869 and currently (in 2012) has 7,454 inhabitants.
* Area of the town: 1.832 ha.
*
Dovalovo is its town section with 1001 inhabitants
* Average yearly temperature: .
* Maximum temperature:
* Minimum temperature:
* Absolute maximum: (16.08.1952)
* Absolute minimum: (11.02.1929)
* Length of sunshine: 140 days per year
* Average rainfall per year 691 mm
* Average number of cold days year: 160.4 days
* Average number of summer days per year: 28.9 days
Cityscape and architecture
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034943/http://az-europe.eu/data/albumy/GEO_PANORAMA/3848/panorama.jpg
Drawing of Thomas Ender: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EdtSm1CwIPA/Rg6D-XjU47I/AAAAAAAAAQA/wTqLSdSWKuo/s400/0710lipt+hradok.jpg
Castle and manson with lakelet/pond: https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090630/http://www.nasliptov.sk/image.php?url=files%2Fvylety%2F37.jpg&width=451&height=270&fit
Viem from high peak Skalka at Hradná Street: https://web.archive.org/web/20140429195230/http://visitliptov.sk/hlp-image/800x532/userdata/dtb/3271/profil//skalka.jpg
View at the part of "Limewood Alley" (Lipová alej) created in 1777: https://web.archive.org/web/20140430022911/http://visitliptov.sk/userdata/dtb/3293/profil/arboretum.jpg
Internal part of the Castle in winter: http://i.sme.sk/cdata/9/62/6278479/hlavna.jpg
Demographics
According to the 2001
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
, the town had 8,232 inhabitants. 97.11% of inhabitants were
Slovaks
The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...
, 1.37%
Czechs
The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...
, 0.72%
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
and 0.15%
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
.
The religious make-up was 42.23%
Lutherans
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
, 31.74%
Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
and 21.14% people with no religious affiliation.
Twin towns – sister cities
Liptovský Hrádok is
twinned with:
*
Česká Skalice
Česká Skalice (; ) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,000 inhabitants. It lies on the shore of Rozkoš Reservoir. The town is known for the Ratibořice Castle and Grandmother's Vall ...
, Czech Republic
*
Hradec nad Moravicí
Hradec nad Moravicí (; ) is a town in Opava District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument z ...
, Czech Republic
*
Nowy Targ
Nowy Targ (Officially: ''Royal Free city of Nowy Targ'', Yiddish: ''Naymark'', Gorals, Goral dialect: ''Nowy Torg'' ) is a town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is located in the Orava-Nowy Targ Basin at the foot of the Go ...
, Poland
*
Stary Sącz
Stary Sącz is a small historic town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship of southern Poland. It is the seat of the Gmina Stary Sącz (commune), and one of the oldest towns in the country, receiving Magdeburg rights in the 13th century.
Geography
Star ...
, Poland
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liptovsky Hradok
Cities and towns in Slovakia
Villages and municipalities in Liptovský Mikuláš District
Liptov