UNESCO World Heritage – Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments

5 000 Sk commemorative gold coin

The Spiš Castle (Spišský hrad) is the most extensive medieval castle in Slovakia, and with an area of more than four hectares, one of the largest castle complexes in Europe. Its existence is first recorded in a written document issued by King Andrew II in 1209. At that time, the castle was the administrative, economic and cultural centre of Spiš. The original Romanesque stone castle was built at the end of the eleventh, or beginning of the twelfth century on the side of a prehistoric hillfort and underwent many alterations in the Romanesque-Gothic, Gothic and Renaissance styles. Until 1464 it belonged to the Kings of Hungary, and later to the Zápoľský, Thurzo and Csáky families. In the 18th century it lost its military significance and began to decay. After a fire in 1780 it gradually fell into ruin.

In 1961 the Spiš Castle was declared a national cultural monument, and in December 1993 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, together with the cultural monuments in its surroundings – Spišská Kapitula, Spišské Podhradie and the early Gothic Church of the Holy Spirit at Žehra.