Places to visit

Liptov Castle, which is situated on Sestrč Hill, at altitude of 1000 meters, used to be the castle with the highest altitude in Slovakia.

It is situated above the town of Kalameny, which lies 13 kilometres eastward from Ružomberok.

The best way to access the castle is to follow the yellow hiking mark from this town. Right outside the town, we pass a pit with warm thermal water (33 degrees Celsius). A good idea is to take a swim here on the way back from the castle, at the end of the trip.

The way up to the castle takes approximately 1 and a half hour. The final part of the way up to the castle hill will also include one smaller ladder.

Apart from the preserved parts of the walls and the remains of the castle’s water tank, not much has been preserved from the castle itself, however, the site offers beautiful views. You can get a great view, for example, of the Great Choc Mountain, and also worth seeing are the views of the opposite side, of the Liptov Basin, around water reservoir “Liptovská Mara”. 

An interesting fact is that, in the past, the castle guarded an important trade route running from Liptov, through the Sestrčská Valley, to Malatiná in Orava, and continuing further to Poland.

The castle was built by king Belo IV. in the 13th century. The castle was the property of the king, but Hungarian rulers often gave it for use to Liptov county heads, who usually had the seat at the castle as well, and so the castle was also the seat of the county. The castle was demolished in the 15th century based on the orders by king Matthew Korvín after suppression of a rebellion against the king. Since then, it has never been restored. In the 20th century, an archaeological research was carried out here.

The castle is open to the public all year round and free of charge.