Ľupča Castle

Hi,

The weekend is coming and it's time to go on a trip somewhere. This time we agreed with our friends that we will go see Lupča Castle. Currently, this castle serves as a kind of representation of the company Železiarne Podbrezová, to which it now belongs. However, there is also a section dedicated to tourists and the history of this castle.

We fearlessly climb the castle hill and step by step we are closer to the goal. The castle stands proudly on a high hill from which there is a view of the wide area of Horehron. As a policeman, he pays attention to what is happening around him. And quite a lot happened.

The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1250. It was built on the site of an older fortress after the invasion of the Mongols. Monarchs often visited it due to its location on the road to Central Slovak mining towns.

Thanks to the conquests of the nobles, the castle often changed owners. One of the conquering noble families was the Dóczy family, who acquired the castle in 1490. They undertook conquests against their neighbors, illegally collected tolls, and prevented them from building roads. They did not take into account whether they were mining towns or yeomen. In 1517, they invaded Brezno and burned and looted a large part of this city. It wasn't until 1531 that the captain of the Zvolen garrison received an order from Queen Mária Jagelovská to occupy the castle, which he succeeded in doing.

The castle continued to change owners. They rebuilt and renovated it.

After the attack of Francis II. Rákoczi in 1703, who was fighting against the Habsburgs, the castle fell to the rebels, who controlled it until 1708, when it was conquered again by the imperial troops. They did not blow up the castle, unlike many other castles that they managed to recapture. The castle served as a prison for them.

The importance of the castle gradually disappeared. The estate began to move into mansions and the castle began to be abandoned. A fire also contributed to its destruction, after which only necessary modifications were made. Only after the arrival of a new owner - Železiarní Podbrezová in 2002, the castle began to be gradually restored to its present form.

For me, castles represent magical places that connect me with history. In the castle, among other things, I was interested in the castle well. It has a depth of 62 meters and hides an escape passage that leads outside the walls. So, in case of danger, the monarchs could escape from the castle to safety without a trace.

I really like to read stories about different castles. Personally, it gives me a slightly different perspective on these amazing monuments. It takes me back to the dark ages. I also read one about Ľupča Castle and I would like to tell you about it.

One more question. Do you believe in ghosts?

A castellan lived happily with his wife at Ľupčian Castle. The castle lords conscientiously took care of the castle and enthusiastically planned their future. After some time, a healthy son was born to them, but castellan's wife almost died during childbirth. Since then she was weak and often sick. She was unable to fulfill her duties, so she called her cousin for help.

Her cousin Veronka was an orphan from an early age. She was very pretty and cheerful. She brought laughter and good mood to the castle.

When the surrounding estate found out that a pretty young girl was serving at the Ľupčian castle, everyone started flocking there to have fun. Veronka charmed many men and was able to entertain crowds with her cheerful nature. Many of them wanted to marry her, but she refused all suitors.

She fell in love with the castellan. He returned her sinful love and stopped caring about his sick wife. Castellan's wife noticed how the two understood each other and suspected that there was something more behind it. But a weak and sickly woman could not compete with a younger and more beautiful woman.

The lady of the castle returned to the castle and immediately noticed that something was wrong. She and the castellan's wife had been friends since they were young, and it bothered her that the castellan's wife was sad and devastated. One evening while walking in the garden, she heard familiar voices from behind the bush. Veronka urged the castellan to kill his wife. He did not like this idea and dissuaded the young girl from such thoughts.

The lady of the castle got angry and decided to take action. The castle guards imprisoned Veronka in the castle tower on the order of the castle lady. There, after some time, she went crazy from solitude and jumped into the castle moat. It is said that she walks around the castle on moonlit nights, crying and looking for her lover.

Well thank you.