Kežmarský zámok

Kežmarok Castle is a town castle rising in the historic center of Kežmarok and one of the town's most striking landmarks. Its story is unusual — it stands on the site where a church stood in the 13th century. That church was rebuilt into a castle in 1462 and later, in the 17th century, took on the form of a more comfortable and representative residence.

This gradual transformation from a church through a castle to a mansion makes it an interesting record of how the building's function changed over the centuries. While originally the sacred and later defensive function prevailed, in the Renaissance and Baroque periods the focus shifted toward a residential and representative purpose, which is reflected in the complex's present form.

Today, Kežmarok Castle houses the Museum in Kežmarok. Visitors can therefore combine a tour of the building itself with exhibitions that bring the history of the town and the region beneath the Tatras closer. Kežmarok was for centuries an important town of Spiš, and its castle is a natural place where this rich past is made accessible to the public.

The castle lies right in the town, so visiting it easily combines with a stroll through the historic center of Kežmarok and other local landmarks. For day-trippers it's a rewarding destination in any weather and a fine addition to a Tatra holiday. Accommodation in Kežmarok or the surrounding villages offers a comfortable base — combining urban culture with excursions into the nearby Tatras.