Orava Castle

Orava Castle sits on a rock rising directly out of the Orava river, and it is built in stages up the spike, so that the oldest parts are at the top and the later ones step down the slope, connected by stairs cut into the rock. From below it looks improbable, which is why F. W. Murnau used it as the castle in Nosferatu in 1922, making it the setting of the first surviving vampire film. Inside, the rooms hold a regional museum covering natural history, folk life and the castle's own story, and the guided route climbs steadily through halls, a chapel and defensive levels to the upper courtyard, where the view runs up and down the valley. Concerts and night tours are staged in summer.

History

The castle stands on a limestone spur 112 meters high and is first recorded in 1267, when only its ground floor was of stone; it became the centre of Árva county in 1370, and after 1474 King Matthias Corvinus ordered a residence wing for the middle castle. Many scenes of the film Nosferatu were shot here in 1922 (Wikipedia, Orava Castle).

What's there

• The stepped courtyards - the climb from the lowest gate to the upper castle on the rock.
• The Nosferatu connection - the exterior used in the 1922 film.
• The regional museum - natural history and Orava folk collections in the castle rooms.
• The valley view - from the upper terraces over the river and the Orava hills.

When to go

May to September; some routes and the upper sections close in winter. Summer evenings bring night tours and concerts, which are the best way to see it. Morning light hits the river face of the rock.

Things to know

The visit is a long climb up many stairs cut into rock, with no lift, so it is inaccessible to anyone with mobility limits. Entry is on timed guided tours, mostly in Slovak with translated texts, and the shorter and longer routes differ substantially in what they include. It gets very busy on summer weekends.

Nearby

The Orava village open-air museum at Zuberec is nearby; the Western Tatras rise east.

Key facts