Hrad Gýmeš

Jelenec, Slovakia, Slovakia

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Hrad Gýmeš near Jelenec in Slovakia's Tríbeč Mountains is a 13th-century Gothic ruin built around 1253-1270 by Ondrej, son of Ivanek from the Hont-Pázmány clan, on an ancient hillfort site to control regional routes. Originally featuring late Romanesque walls enclosing a triangular courtyard, it repelled Bohemian King Ottokar II's attacks in 1271 and 1273, later expanding under the Forgáč family who held it from the 14th century through noble expansions and repairs after Turkish assaults in 1576. Passing through figures like Matthew III Csák and Sigismund of Luxembourg before returning to Forgáč hands, it endured peasant revolts in 1610 and Rákóczi's uprising involvement leading to imperial seizure, with Baroque reconstructions until abandonment in the early 19th century when owners shifted to a nearby palace, leaving dramatic remnants today.