It was back in the 12th century when the Bojnice Castle was first constructed. Back then it was nothing more than a wooden fort. However, within the next century, the wood would be replaced by stone. And in 1302 the first private owner, Máté Csák, with take control of the castle after it was given to him by none other than King Ladislaus V of Hungary. A century later it would be reverted back to King Matthias Corvinus later bequeathed to his illegitimate son.

Bojnice castle, Slovakia by Krondol

After the death of King Matthias the castle and all of the lands were sold to the Zapolya before finally falling under control of the wealthy Thurzos family back in 1528. It was under the control of the Thurzos family that Bojnice Castle, as well as many castles throughout Slovakia were reconstructed for the very first time. However, the current reincarnation of this picturesque castle can only be accredited to John Palffy, who completely reconstructed the castle back at the end of the 19th century.

Inspired by the beautiful castles of France, John Palffy undertook the passionate reconstruction of the Bojnice Castle. Every single aspect of the reconstruction was overseen by John and by 1908, when the construction was finally completed, the Bojnice Castle became one of the most beautiful castles in all of Slovakia; possibly the world. Over the centuries, the Bojnice Castle has been the inspiration of countless storybooks and fairytales.

Castle Bojnice, Slovakia by Pufacz

John Palffy’s heirs fought over control of the castle and much of its contents, and as a result much of the historic works that were once contained within the walls of the castle, were either destroyed or sold off. The property and all the surrounding land was then transferred to Ján Baťa in 1939 before being confiscated by the government of Czechoslovakia back in 1945.

It was while the Castle was under Czechoslovakia control back in 1950, that much of the castle was destroyed as a result of a huge fire. It was then that it was decided that the Bojnice Castle was to be restored to its previous glory and turned into a museum which was specialized in housing and presenting documents and other collections of the region.

On account of its beautiful and charming design, it is often considered to be a true fairytale castle. As a result it has been featured in countless movies over the last couple of decades and is also home to the annual Castle Fairytale Festival as well as the International Festival of Ghosts and Spirits. Today more than a quarter of 1 million people visit the Bojnice Castle every single year.

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Located in the town of Bojnice, which is a well-known spot destination in Slovakia, the ZOO of Bojnice is considered to be not just the oldest zoo in the nation, but is also the most popular. Since it first opened its doors, the zoo has attracted more than 20 million visitors; which makes it the most popularly visited attractions in the region as well as in all of Slovakia.

Spread out throughout the ZOO of Bojnice there are a number of pavilions which are home to some of the more popular animals at the zoo including the monkeys, the elephants as well as the aquarium and reptile centers. There is also a children’s zoo which is located within the park, which was developed so that children visiting zoo can get up close and personal to some of the most popular animals that live in the zoo.

Located in the center of the zoo, there is a 7 metres tall observation tower which also doubles as a fun slide for children of all ages. Anyone who climbs up into the observation tower to see the surrounding zoo landscape, and slide down into a beautiful section of the ZOO of Bojnice which is filled with some of the tamest animals in the zoo.

For the most part, the ZOO of Bojnice consists of a forest, meadow as well as a natural area. Within these three distinct themed sections of the zoo, you’ll find a large variety of the different animals that call the place home. It is also important to point out, that there are several distinct locations located throughout the ZOO of Bojnice which are dedicated to its breeding programs. Matter fact, the ZOO of Bojnice currently participates in more than 25 different crucial breeding programs to help repopulate rare and endangered species.

All in all, anyone who chooses to visit the ZOO of Bojnice will definitely be glad that they did. While it only takes a day to wander through the zoo, thanks to the fact that it is also located within one of the most popular resort towns in Slovakia, you will be able to spend the rest of your vacation relaxing in some of the finest resorts that the country has to offer.

Adjacent to the ZOO there is Bojnice Fairytale Castle that you also should visit once you are in this great town.

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