Bojnice Castle, Slovakia

The Bojnice Castle is a medieval castle located on a travertine hill above the town of Bojnice, Slovakia. The castle was built in the early 12th century and was first mentioned in the bill of Zobor Abbey in Nitra dating from 1113 which says that it belonged to the Benedictine monastery of St. Hypolita in the upper Nitra. The Bojnice Castle was originally built as a wooden fort but it was replaced by stone in the 13th century when it was owned by the Poznanovec family.

At the end of 13th century was the castle captured by Matus Cak Trenciansky but afterwards the castle changed its owners until in 1646 when the castle's owners finally became the Palffy family which owned the Bojnice Castle until 1939. Since its construction the castle went through several re-buildings and modifications over the centuries but the last rebuilding and the present romantic appearance was made under Count John Palffy in the 19th and early 20th century.

Count Palffy died before the rebuilding was completed but in his testament he requested that the Bojnice Castle became open to the public. However, his heirs did not fulfill his last wish and sold many precious peaces of art and in 1939 even the whole castle. Count Pulffy's wish was realized in 1950 when the Slovak government which confiscated the Bojnice Castle in 1945 reconstructed the castle after it was damaged in a fire in the same year.

Since 1950 is the Bojnice Castle open to the public and since 1970 also a national cultural monument.