In terms of area, this is one of the largest castles in the Žilina Region. It was probably built on the site of an older hillfort sometime in the first half of the 13th century. It first appears in written records in 1309, when it was owned by the Count Donč of Zvolen.
Starting in 1339, it was for 450 years the seat of the county governors of Turiec region, as well as the administrative and power centre of the Turiec. The castle lords controlled the collection of tolls from here; the county prison was located here, and the county archive was also kept here. Between 1410 – 1469, it was in the deposit of the Polish family of Balický. In May 1434, the castle was set on fire by the Hussites; therefore, it was subsequently fortified with a ring of palisade walls with a new gate. During the reign of King Matthias Corvinus between 1483 – 1487, an extensive reconstruction followed. A tower with a Gothic chapel of St. Andrew and a new front gate with a painted facade to meet the requirements of the royal representation were built. In 1527, the King Ferdinand I of Habsburg granted half of the castle to his supporter František Révay, who 13 years later acquired the other part as well.
The castle then remained in the hereditary possession of the Révay family until 1914. They fortified the castle in several stages, and new gates were built. From the western approach, where a polygonal artillery tower stood, Peter Révay, the guardian of the royal crown, united the buildings into the castle manor house in 1612, which housed the Révay family museum, full of rare treasures, until the 20th century.
The manor house was burned down by the fascists in 1944 as a reprisal for partisan activities in the area. They also burned down the village of Sklabinský Podzámok. The last owners after 1914 were two sisters, Countesses Maria and Róza Cebriánová. Róza’s husband, Jenő Hubay, was a famous Hungarian composer whose works are still performed all over the world today. The castle is open all year round, there is an admission fee. Several events are held here throughout the year, the largest being the traditional August castle festivities. At present, rescue and reconstruction work is underway at the castle. Visitors can explore the exhibition on the history of the castle including a cellar area in the lower building and can taste homemade goat-milk products.
Since 2022, a second exhibition focusing on the Slovak National Uprising and the castle fire has been open in the renovated northern bastion near the main gate, featuring the room of the last castellan Jozef Pekár, who, together with his daughter Anna, was directly involved in the anti-fascist resistance.
Did you know…?
Sklabiňa Castle ranks among the top places for paranormal activity. Legend says that during storms a dark knight with no face walks here and those thunderous footsteps, the clanking of chains and weapons and other strange sounds can be heard. Some people report seeing little girl in a white dress, probably the soul of one of the little deceased daughters of Baron Peter Révay. Under the castle, there also reportedly lived a snake with a head as big as a calf, and anyone who saw it was unable to move.
