On the north-western tip The Slánské Hills, on the right-hand side of the Šebastovka river valley, above the village of Podhradík, lie the ruins of a medieval castle.
From the history of the castle
Shebes Castle It was founded in the early 14th century. The first mention of this area dates from 1307, when the lands surrounding the future keep were acquired by Knight Synek de Sebesy. By 1315, he had built a new stone castle here. From the castle’s rocky outcrop, it was possible to comfortably monitor events in the north-eastern part of the Košice Basin, with a good view of the castles at Šariš and Kapušany, which already existed at that time.
Shebes Castle It was inhabited by the descendants of Knight Synka for two centuries. In 1491, King Vladislav II Jagiellon donated the castle to the loyal town of Košice. However, in 1528, this „Košice Castle near Prešov“ was conquered by the army of the town of Prešov. It may well have been this event that sparked the subsequent rivalry between Košice and Prešov, and due to disagreements and legal disputes over the castle, the mayor of Prešov had it set alight in 1550. The castle was never rebuilt and eventually fell into ruin. All that remains of the original castle are the low ruins of its stone walls.
At the western foot of the cliff is carved into the rock a set of numerals with the name L. CSEH and the date 24 August 1896. According to speculation, this is likely a set of coordinates indicating the location of the entrance to a „quicksilver“ adit – that is, an adit for mining cinnabar, which is used in the production of mercury. The adit is situated on the opposite bank of the Šebastovka stream, at the foot of Hájová Mountain. During the Second World War, local residents used it to hide food, mainly grain. There are many interesting rock formations and small stone circles in the vicinity of the ruins. Hradný Hill offers a lovely view of the surrounding villages and castles; below the hill there is a spot for barbecues and relaxation – a shelter and a small amphitheatre.
A tip for visitors
In the „courtyard“ of the castle ruins there is an information board, and next to it a small box, inside which, carefully sheltered from the elements, guestbook. Show your support for these enthusiasts and express your admiration for their work by signing the petition.
The Šebeš Castle audio guide is part of the Dante mobile app, which you can find on Google Play: play.google.com/dante. To ensure the app works smoothly in areas with a weak signal and poor internet connection, we recommend that you download the route to Šebeš Castle in offline mode before setting off on your trip.
Šebeš Castle is a part of Šariš Castle Road.
Source: OOCR Region Šariš, village Podhradík
Photo source: Tibor Šarišský Photography
Map
Gallery
Information
Length of the route: 1,100 m
Estimated time: 15 minutes without breaks
Difficulty: suitable for all age groups. You should expect an uphill climb over ungroomed terrain during the first part of the ascent, followed by a groomed path leading to the „courtyard“.
