{"id":510,"date":"2026-07-17T14:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T14:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slanskevrchy.com\/?post_type=poi&p=510"},"modified":"2026-07-17T14:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T14:09:00","slug":"hrad-medzianky","status":"publish","type":"poi","link":"https:\/\/www.slanskevrchy.com\/en\/poi\/hrad-medzianky\/","title":{"rendered":"Medzianky Castle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guard Castle Medzianky<\/strong> It rises to a height of 382 metres above sea level, about 1 kilometre north-east of the village of the same name, on a raised rocky outcrop.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first written record of Medzianky<\/strong> It dates from 1248. During the feudal period, the village was part of the estate \u0160ari\u0161 Castle<\/a>. In the past, the castle served as a watchtower \u2013 one of the reasons for this was the stunning view of the neighbouring castles Kapusany<\/a> a \u0160ari\u0161<\/a>, Slansk\u00e9 vrchy<\/a> or Hanu\u0161ovce nad Top\u013eou<\/a>. This is one of the reasons why Medziansky Castle proved so useful in the signalling system. It guarded an important communication route from Zempl\u00edn to \u0160ari\u0161.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The castle was probably built by the Knights of St John, who had their monastery in nearby Hanu\u0161ovce nad Top\u013eou. The castle and life in Medzianky reached their peak during the last third of the 13th century. By 1332, a new landowner and owner of the castle, Demeter of the Abov family, was already being mentioned. From the 15th century onwards, records of the castle gradually disappear. As late as the mid-15th century, the apparently abandoned structure was used by the Brethren\u2019s troops under the command of J\u00e1n Talaf\u00faz, but a lack of space forced them to abandon the castle in 1460, and they probably built a fortress called \u201eZadn\u00e1 hura\u201c above what is now Chme\u013eov. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Demise of Medzianky Castle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The castle\u2019s demise was probably due to internal political strife. However, the castle\u2019s location was strategically very advantageous. It allowed for effective control of the road leading westwards below it into the Pre\u0161ov Basin, as well as the main route through the Top\u013ea Valley to Bardejov and across the Carpathians to Poland. Furthermore, the visual link with the nearby castles of Kapu\u0161any and \u0160ari\u0161 enabled mutual signalling, and as a result, it is likely that the castle was incorporated into the defence system of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. The castle\u2019s excellent location is also evidenced by its use as a military observation post as late as the end of the Second World War. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appearance of the castle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The castle had a single-section rectangular ground plan (36 x 13\u201315 m) and was surrounded by a massive wall 2 to 2.7 m thick. An integral part of the castle was a prismatic tower (8.5 x 8 m). In the courtyard, a 6-metre-deep cistern was hewn out of the rock. The fortification system also included a rampart and a moat. Part of the castle is currently preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medzianky Castle is part of \u0160ari\u0161 Castle Road<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source.
Source of photographs: Medzianky Local Authority<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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