Saris Castle, Slovakia

Ruins of one of the largest castles in Slovakia

📌 By Jakub Mikula | December 14, 2021

If you happen to visit the eastern part of Slovakia, specifically the city of Presov, make sure to pay a visit to the Saris Castle (Sarisky hrad). Located only about 10km from the city center, the castle offers a spectacular 360 view overlooking the city of Presov and some of the neighboring villages. It is accessible by bicycle or public transport (or car, the free carpark is located at the foot of the hill just above the village of Velky Saris). The forest trail is accessible in both summer and winter. Most recently, I visited the place during the winter. While the snow has already melted in many regions of the neighborhood, it remained largely untouched on the top of the hill where the remains of the castle reside. The ruins of the castle are some of the biggest in Slovakia.

The trail leads through a lush forest. It takes no more than 30min to reach the castle from the carpark. Near the top, one is welcomed with the remains of a big gate and some impressive carved wood statues. Recently, I noticed that one may need to pay a small fee to enter the park; however, this is probably only during the weekends.

Although only a few remains survived since the castle was destroyed by fire (according to Wikipedia in 1678), I learned that a group of volunteers exists slowly refurbishing and renovating the premises. However, even with the little of what has remained, one can easily ramp up their imagination and immerse in the atmosphere of the medieval period.