Old Castle (Starhrad)

Nezbudská Lúčka, Slovakia, Slovakia

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Old Castle (Starhrad), originally known as Varín Castle or Warna, towers on a rocky granite hill at 475 meters above Nezbudská Lúčka village in Slovakia, overlooking the dramatic Domašín meander of the Váh River in the Malá Fatra foothills. Likely built around 1235 during Andrew II's reign to guard the Považie trade route and collect tolls, it was donated to Bohumír in 1244 for fighting Tatars, seized by Matthew III Csák in 1297, and later held by the Balassa and Pongrácz families who fortified it against Ottoman threats in 1525. Expanded with a late-Gothic palace, outer bailey, and residential tower in the 15th century, it defended against Thököly rebels before gradual decay from the 18th century, with WWII Slovak National Uprising battles adding to its ruin; today, remnants like walls, a tower base, and cellar draw hikers for stunning views.