Slovakia – Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments

Spišský Hrad (Spiš Castle), one of the largest and most monumental medieval castles in the Central Europe, is the key historic and architectonic landmark of Spiš region of East Slovakia.

The ruins of Spiš Castle (Slovak: Spišský hrad; Hungarian: Szepesi vár; German: Zipser Burg) in NE Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš (Hungarian: Szepes, German: Zips, Polish: Spisz, Latin: Scepusium). It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1993 (together with the adjacent locations of Spišská Kapitula, Spišské Podhradie and Žehra). This is one of the biggest European castles by area (41 426 m²).

Spiš Castle was built in the 12th century on the site of an earlier castle. It was the political, administrative, economic and cultural centre of Szepes County of the Kingdom of Hungary. Before 1464, it was owned by the kings of Hungary, afterwards (until 1528) by the Zápolya family, the Thurzó family (1531–1635), the Csáky family (1638–1945), and (since 1945) by the state of Czechoslovakia then Slovakia.

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