Castle of Brekov Castle

Castle Brekov, located near the village of Brekov in Prešov region, is a medieval castle. Its ruins are visible by the road between Strážske and Humenné. The castle was built in the Middle Ages as a guard castle along with other nearby castles - Jasenov, Vinné, Čičva. From the castle hill is a far round view.

The castle Brekov was declared a cultural monument in 1963. Since 2009, reconstruction and rescue of the castle has been under way by the Civil Association for the Rescue of the Brekov castle, which since 2009 is a member of the interest association Save the Castles. The castle area is freely accessible to visitors.

The oldest core of the castle has oval floor plan and is located at the highest point of limestone taken. It is joined in the southwest by the tower. This construction stage is from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The second building phase is associated with the Drugeths, who have added a two-track palace to the tower and a small front on the north side. In the expansion of this dam to the east behind Štefan Zápoľská old wall replaced by a new masonry on the edge of the rock platform. In the fourth stage they built a late-gothic bastion at the entrance gate and built a polygonal building from the western side to the original core.

Today the walls have been preserved up to three floors, clearly indicating the previous state of buildings. The gates are also visible, the passage to the upper castle, which was probably equipped with a falling bridge. The cellars are partly vaulted and in the western part there is a clearly visible kitchen with open fire, a sink and a huge smokehouse. On the floor there are preserved rest of the beams fireplace on the wall.

Until 1248 the owner of Michalovce was Sobieslav (Zabuslo) from the genus Ludan, Slavic origin. In the middle Zemplín had extensive estates, and the castles Jasenov, Brekov and Vinné belonged to him. In written sources, it was first mentioned in 1307 as the For his faithful service, Charles Robert of Anjou donated the castle to Philip Drugeth in 1317 along with other assets in Eastern Slovakia. The Drugeths owned the castle until 1486. In 1472 King Matej appointed the hereditary bathrobe Spiš and captain for the protection of the northeastern regions of Hungary Štefan Zápoľský. The one in 1488 acts as the "castellanus castri Barko". In the next two centuries, it was owned alternately by the Drugeths and occupied by the troops Gabriel Bethlén, Juraj Rákoczi I (1644) and Imrich Thokola, who had it demolished at the end of the conspiracy (1684). The castle is currently owned by the village of Brekov. The management of the castle has been the Association for the Rescue of the Brekov castle since 2008.

Among the findings from the archaeological research of the Zemplín Museum in Michalovce is a rich collection of late-renaissance tiles. Even more important is the finding of ceramics, iron spikes of the Slavic fort. During the summer season some findings are displayed in the castle museum directly below the castle.

The castle is open to visitors. Since 2009 reconstruction and rescue of the castle by the Civil Association for the rescue of the castle Brekovský. Near the castle there is a village Brekov, where you can stay in hotels or pensions. There are also other historical monuments around the castle, such as Jasenov Castle and Čičva Castle.

The castle of Brekov is worth visiting with its architecture and rich history. It is possible to learn about the history of the castle and its owners, as well as archaeological findings found at the castle. The castle is also an ideal place for hiking and trips to nature.