The first written mention of the castle comes from 1323, under the name Varín Castle. It was not referred to as the Old Castle (Starý hrad) until 1384, in connection with the fact that Strečno Castle had been standing nearby as a new castle since the beginning of the 14th century. The shortened name Starhrad was also used.

The castle is comprised of two parts – in the upper part is the core of the castle with a narrowing tower, to which a Gothic residential tower is connected at the opposite end (southern part). To the east of the tower, in the forecourt, barracks were built for the military garrison as well as farm buildings, which formed part of the castle’s forward defences. The forecourt was enclosed by a moat, over which there was likely a bridge. In the lower part (to the north) there were newer fortifications and buildings. From the mid-18th century, the Old Castle fell into disrepair, until it turned into a ruin, though during the Slovak National Uprising in 1944, it was the site of battles. The present owners of the castle are descendants of the Pongrác family; the castle is freely accessible.

Did you know…?
The Pongrác family and its descendants have owned the castle for over 570 years. The most famous member of this family was Pongrác of St. Nicholas. The cradle of his military fame was at Brumov and Sehradice castles, both in Moravia, from which he defended the Kingdom of Hungary against Hussite raids. He was also celebrated for the battle against the Turks at the Smederevo Fortress. After the death of Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg, he became a robber knight and, in alliance with others, raided mainly royal estates and their inhabitants. His seat at that time was Branč Castle. In 1446, he was granted the ownership of the Old Castle and Strečno Castle by the Nitra Chapter.