Castle Dobrá Niva

Podzámčok, Slovakia, Slovakia

---

Castle Dobrá Niva is a Gothic castle ruin near the village of Podzámčok in central Slovakia, constructed in the second half of the 13th century after the Mongol invasion to guard a vital trade route between Zvolen and Krupina. First documented in 1305-1306, it served as the administrative center of the royal Dobroniv estate through the Middle Ages, passing under control of queens like Barbara of Cilli and Elisabeth of Luxembourg in the 15th century before withstanding a 1583 Ottoman siege. Owned by the Esterházy family from 1614 until state acquisition in 1805, it deteriorated thereafter with stones repurposed locally, though a 1996 conservation stabilized its core featuring a two-story palas, tower, bastion, and fortified walls amid scenic hills.