Orava Castle

Orava Castle (Oravský hrad) in Oravský Podzámok in northern Slovakia perches on a limestone rock about 112 m high above the River Orava. A wooden fortification from the period after the Mongol invasion of 1241 stood here earlier; the castle is first mentioned in writing in 1267. The Thurzó family extended it from the mid-16th century, and by 1611 it had taken its present form. A fire destroyed the timber parts in 1800, after which it was no longer lived in. It served as Count Orlok's castle in the film Nosferatu (1922).

In the castle museum, which traces its origins to an exhibition in 1868, you can see the chapel, the Knights' Hall, furnished rooms, a picture gallery and an armoury, among other things. You can park in the car park in Oravský Podzámok, from where it is easy to find the first castle gate. According to Slovakia.com, the chapel requires an extra ticket. Oravský Podzámok railway station is on the line from Kralovany.