Stará Ľubovňa Castle

Stará Ľubovňa castle stands on a rock above the Poprad river on what was for centuries the Polish border, and it was Polish territory for over three hundred years after the Spiš towns were pawned in 1412. During the Swedish invasion of the 1650s the Polish crown jewels were hidden here for a decade. Below the castle is a skanzen of relocated wooden buildings from the surrounding villages, including a Greek Catholic church.

What's there

• The castle - a rock-top fortress with a Renaissance palace inside the walls.
• The crown jewels story - the decade the Polish regalia spent hidden here.
• The skanzen - relocated wooden houses and a Greek Catholic church below.
• The Poprad valley - the river and the Polish border country beyond.

When to go

May to October is the main season and the skanzen is fully open then. Winter hours are shorter and some buildings close. Summer brings historical events.

Practical notes

The skanzen buildings are largely closed outside summer. The castle interiors are museum displays rather than furnished rooms. Labelling is mostly in Slovak.

Nearby

Cerveny Klastor is northwest, and Kezmarok is southwest.