home Schengen Castles, palaces and fortresses of Western Ukraine. Castles of Transcarpathia Castles of Transcarpathia

Castles, palaces and fortresses of Western Ukraine. Castles of Transcarpathia Castles of Transcarpathia

All the castles in Transcarpathia were once built as guardian fortresses of this land. Each of them spans centuries of existence – even non-existence! - became surrounded by legends. And no matter how successful historical science has been, many of these myths still can neither be substantiated nor refuted...

Walled-up maidens and underground groans, bloody traces of the Dracula family and a mountain of torment - all the legends of Transcarpathia cannot be listed. Moreover, the castle passions were supplemented by the stories of all the countries and authorities that visited here, the myths of castle-palaces, the secrets of fortifications that disappeared in ancient times. Thus, over the centuries, dozens (if not hundreds) of mystical tales have been formed, which still haunt the imagination of contemporaries.

Uzhgorod Castle, Uzhgorod

The legend of Uzhgorod Castle tells of the cruelty of Count Druget towards his daughter. The girl was walled up alive in the castle walls for unconscious treason - giving away castle secrets to her beloved, who turned out to be an enemy commander. According to another version, because she did not want to become the prince’s wife, but gave her heart to a simple guy. And the worst thing is that in the 17th century, when the Drugets ruled and when the Poles attacked Uzhgorod, there really was a custom of immuring people in the fortress walls. Allegedly for the sake of increasing the defense capability of the structure...

The castle in Nevitsky is shrouded in legends about the obnoxious filthy girl and the daughters-in-law, whom he allegedly protected. The dirty wench, as folk legends say, was the name given to the Turkish princess who ruled the castle. She ordered eggs and milk to be added to the defensive walls for strength. The walls became stronger, but hunger began among the people... Another story tells about the Nevichanskaya maiden, the young mistress of the castle. Fleeing from a forced marriage, she threw herself into the abyss right here.

Knights Templar monks, monks of the Order of St. Paul, feudal lords, Uzhgorod magnates... Serednyansky castle could not withstand all its owners and the historical collisions that befell its fate over seven centuries. The ruins of the fortress could tell us, for example, about a beautiful and cunning young lady: they say she once lived here. But even cunning could not save the girl from her murderous father, who was walling up people in the castle dungeons. By the way, Transcarpathians still say that some underground passages connected as many as four castles in Transcarpathia - Uzhgorod, Nevitsky, Serednyansky and Mukachevo.

Mukachevo Castle, like a living fairy tale, rises on a large lonely volcano that long ago fell asleep forever. However, it is still described as a “mountain of torment” created by the hard work of the peasants. Another story about torment says that people suffered during construction precisely because of the steep mountain up which they had to pull stones. There are also many legends about the castle well, where, supposedly, the devil himself found water in order to later destroy Prince Koryatovich.

About the castle of Saint Miklos they say that a walled human skeleton was found within its walls. It seems that in the Middle Ages people thought that a person immured in the castle walls became the patron-guardian of the fortress and did not consider this matter to be murder. But the more romantic history of the castle is connected with lovers - Count Imre Tekeli and Princess Ilona Zrini. It was here that they first met and fell in love with each other... At least, that’s what the legends say, thanks to which the fortress was dubbed the “castle of love.” Now the fortress is being actively revived and is welcoming guests.

The most interesting legend about Khust Castle has certain historical roots. She is connected with the family in which the notorious Count Dracula was born. Dracula's mother, Vlad the Impaler, actually came from these lands, which are now divided between Ukraine and Romania, and were once called Maramorosh. And Dracula’s grandfather, Bogdan from the Sas clan, the Maramorosh voivode, could well have lived in the castle. But is it true that his grandson later hid his treasures here and did evil deeds? Unlikely, although the version is intriguing.

The Vinogradovskaya fortress is now just a fascinating memory; little remains of it. The ruins and the cross stand alone on Black Mountain, but you still want to touch them. Vinogradov legends say that the castle was built during the time of the glorious Hungarian king, whom we know as St. Stephen. But over time, this castle became only an object of struggle and war - and then it fell into decay.

The royal castle also did not know the mercy of history. Its powerful walls have not even retained their outlines. But the legend about him is among the most romantic, because it is about King Vladislav and the beautiful Caroline. It is surprising that the legend is not tragic - meeting, love, marriage and children follow one after another. It is not known what happened to royal family further - tragedy befell them during one of the Tatar invasions. They say that the noble couple and the princes fell asleep forever under the castle walls.

This non-existent castle in Vyshkovo (a village near Khust, famous for its unique architectural monument - a wooden Reformed church) had a certain common feature with the fortresses of Khust, Vinogradov and Korolev. It was also a “salt” castle - designed to protect salt mining in Transcarpathia. Castle legends are associated with twelve robbers who once occupied the mountain where the Vishkov fortress stood. The robbers mocked the peasants, and one owner’s daughter was stolen and taken to the castle. She cursed, and prayed, and begged... And suddenly such a storm covered the castle that it destroyed it. All that remains of the fortress are ruins.

To see the remains of the Minta Castle in Kvasovo above the Borzhava River, you should hurry. A few more years and there may be nothing left of him at all. People say that once upon a time an unfortunate rich man lived here. Dying, he cursed his goods. And no one could reach it or capture the castle... So the stronghold disappeared over the centuries.

The remains of Borzhavsky Castle in the village of Vary are located a 25-minute drive from the town of Beregovo, famous for its healing thermal waters. It's almost on the border with Hungary. According to legend, the castle was destroyed by Batu Khan, and this happened in 1241. Legends tell tragic story the unhappy marriage of the Borzhavian prince Chernogor and the Galician princess Milota. The unfortunate princess loved another - and in a tragic coincidence, she died during the Hungarian attack precisely at the hands of her beloved.

The castle in Bronka (28 km from Irshava) has hardly survived at all; all that remains are barely noticeable ruins of walls and foundations. Nobody knows the time of his appearance. This could also have been the period of the ancient state of Dacia, which later became part of the Roman Empire. The treasures of Bronetsky Castle, its fate and death are shrouded in tragic legends; even why the fortress fell, only its ruins know for sure. There was also tragic love: the robber knight Brinda allegedly died here, having cheated on his beloved with another. The unfortunate girl took revenge by denouncing him to the authorities. Along with Brinda, the secret of the treasures he stole, which the Transcarpathian Robin Hood hid somewhere in the Bronets dungeons, perished.

The remains of a Slavic settlement (8–9 centuries) on the outskirts of the village of Belki, Irshava region (this is one of the largest villages in Ukraine with a rich history, located 10 km from Irshava) only a folk legend remains. The peasants built a castle on the mountain to escape their enemies. They called that mountain Gorodishche. When a powerful attack by the Tatar horde occurred on the village, women and children dug an underground passage under the castle while the men held the defense. So everyone escaped, but the castle, they say, fell into the ground, and now even traces of it are no longer noticeable.

In addition to the classic fortresses of Transcarpathia, famous similar ones are of interest architectural structures, but of a different type - in particular, the Dolzhansky castle-palace and the hunting castle-palace in the Beregvar tract (Schönborn castle).

Countless legends have been preserved about the disappeared and mythical fortresses of Transcarpathia. These are, for example, the mysterious Cat Castle near Chernecha Mountain (Mukachevo region) and the Owl Castle in the village of Antalovtsi near Uzhgorod. There are also legends among the people about the Pagan Castle on Mount Stremtur near Irshava, Beylev Castle (Beilovar) in the village of Belovartsy, Tyachevsky district. They also talk about the Galabor kastel (that is, a castle-palace) in the village of Galabor near Berehovo and other fortifications, castles and fortifications in Ardanov, Mala Kopan, Vyshkov, Dedova, Velyki Berega... Transcarpathia is shrouded in legends, as in the cradle - and they are were and are an indispensable feature of this mysterious region with a magical, unique charm.

Castles of Transcarpathia - incredible beauty and significant historical value architectural monuments. They were built at different times, by different rulers and even by masters of different nations. This is their value and attractiveness. There are more than a dozen castles in Transcarpathia. Some of them have survived, alas, only in the form of ruins. And individual castles are still impressive and put you in a romantic mood.

Schönborn Castle

Where: village of Karpaty, Mukachevo district Transcarpathian region
The palace of the Counts of Schönborn - also called Beregvar - served as the residence and hunting lodge for this noble family. It was built in the neo-romantic style, with a combination of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, and looks as if it came straight out of the pages of an adventure-romantic saga about princesses, heroes and dragons.

Schönborn Castle (photo by Oleg Zhariya)
In 1946, the Schönborn Palace was turned into a sanatorium. Since then, he is no less famous in Ukraine and the world as mineral resort. In addition, during the Soviet era, Count Schönborn’s castle was often used as a backdrop for filming: “The Snow Queen” and “Seventeen Moments of Spring” were filmed here.
It is interesting that the building of Schönborn Castle was created according to the astronomical principle: each element of the structure, except for the practical one, has a symbolic meaning: the number of windows is 365 - according to the number of days of the year. Another bricked-up window in case of a leap year. There are 52 chimneys in the palace (how many weeks are there in a year). There are 12 entrances - according to the number of months, and 4 towers in the corners of Schönburn Castle correspond to the 4 seasons.

Top view of the castle of the Counts of Schönborn (photo Romawa Revival-After-Murder)
Schönborn Castle has its own romantic and scary legends. One of them says that once a very jealous count, the owner of the estate, forced his wife to prove her fidelity in a strange way - to go down from the Falcon Rock, a steep stone wall opposite the palace. The woman did this without being injured, thus proving her honesty. But then she left the count for such a disdainful attitude towards her life. And after death she returned to the palace in the form of a ghost - a woman in black.
But on the territory of Schönborn Castle there are other interesting things: in particular, the “Source of Beauty” - a pump room with healing mineral water.
The easiest way to get to the castle of the Counts of Schönborn is by car or rail.

Mukachevo Castle "Palanok"

Where: Mukachevo city, Transcarpathian region, st. Pidzamkova
Palanok Castle, or as it is also called, Mukachevo Castle, is one of the most valuable historical and military-architectural monuments of Transcarpathia from the 14th to 17th centuries. The first mentions of the castle in documents date back to the 11th century.
At different times, Palanok Castle belonged to famous historical characters: Prince Fyodor Koryatovich II, Count Nikolai Esterhazy, and the princes of Rakoczi.

Castle of palanoks (photo Wikipedia)
The most famous and most mysterious object of the Mukachevo Castle is the 85-meter well. The legend says that when during one of the sieges of the castle (and Palanok has seen many of them in his time), it became necessary to dig a well - the workers could not get to the water for a very long time. The devil came to Prince Koryatovich and offered to fill the well with water in exchange for a bag of gold. And since the prince did not have not only a bag, but even a bag of gold, the count’s guilty subjects advised: the devil did not specify what the bag should be. Therefore, they threw the last two gold coins into the bag and gave it to the unclean one. But the devil was offended by such a fraud, and with the words “Don’t drink water anyway,” he jumped into the well. And until this time, every evening there is a terrible howl from resentment.

The deepest well in Transcarpathia is in Palanok Castle (photo mukachevo.net)
Now on the territory of the Mukachevo Castle there is a state historical and architectural reserve. Large groups of tourists walk here every day, and especially on weekends. Therefore, if you want to explore Palanok more or less alone, come early on a weekday.

Uzhgorod Castle

Where: Uzhgorod city, Transcarpathian region, st. Kapitulna
Uzhgorod Castle is also a majestic landmark among fortifications. The first mentions of it are in documents of the 9th century. Then it was a wooden structure. And at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries a stone fortress was already erected.

Uzhgorod Castle from a bird's eye view (photo from the website of the Transcarpathian Museum of Local Lore)
Uzhgorod Castle is the most outstanding exhibit of the Transcarpathian Local History Museum. At the same time, it is the oldest and most valuable historical and architectural structure of the city of Uzhgorod. At the end of the 16th century the castle was finally acquired modern look. On three sides the fortress is surrounded by a dry ditch cut into the rock, 15-20 meters wide and 5-10 meters deep, and on the east there is a steep cliff. The fortress has an area of two and a half hectares. The palace itself stands on the edge of a steep northern slope Castle Hill. This is a massive two-story building in the Renaissance style. And the palace has over 40 rooms.

Knightly tournaments are held on the territory of the Uzhgorod Castle - during the “Day of Museums” (photo from the website of the Transcarpathian Museum of Local Lore)

Castles in the Carpathians are a separate topic. There are generally quite a lot of castles in Ukraine, especially in the Ternopil region. This was due to the border position of the area at one time. The magnates were allocated lands with the obligatory condition of constructing a defensive castle. But our site is about the Carpathians, so we will first of all talk about castles located in the mountains. Or, at least, in the foothills of the Carpathians.

Castle in Mukachevo, in the foothills of the Carpathians

Perhaps the only, more or less surviving, castle in the region is located on high mountain in the city of Mukachevo. The object belongs to the Carpathians with a big stretch, since the city of Mukachevo is already located on a plain in Transcarpathia, but given the short distance from the mountains, it deserves to be visited on one of the trips to the Carpathians.

At a distance of only 12 km from the center of Transcarpathia - Uzhgorod - at the exit from the Uzhan valley, on a ledge of a mountain rising above the Uzh River, rise the ruins of the ancient Nevitsky castle, to which a steep stone road leads along a serpentine road.

In ancient times, this castle occupied an important strategic position. From its walls it was possible to control the exit from the Uzhan Valley, along which the trade route from Hungary passed through the Uzhotsky Pass to the Galicia-Volyn Principality and Poland. Archaeologists date the appearance of the castle to the end of the 12th century and associate it with the Galician policy of the Hungarian kings - the castle arose due to growing tensions between the two neighboring states.

Templar Castle in the village. Average in Transcarpathia

What makes the history of Srednyansky Castle especially exotic is the fact that it was built by one of the most mysterious Christian military orders - the Order of the Templars and, according to one legend, it was in this castle that they hid the Holy Grail. Members of this order, founded in 1096, played a leading role in many battles of the Crusades.

Built in the 12th century, the castle in the village. Srednye is the only castle in Transcarpathia that retains the features of the Romanesque style.

The hallmark of the city is the ruins of the Khust castle-fortress, glorified in legends - a monument of architecture and urban planning of the 12th-15th centuries. The city was formed around Castle Hill. The ancient street layout of Khust was based on trade routes that led to Galich, Lviv, Kamenets-Podolsky, Mukachevo, Hungary, and Transylvania.

Getting to the castle is easy - it is not too far from the railway station, or any local will show the way. To do this you will have to overcome a long but not steep climb. From the hill there is an amazing view of the city and surrounding area, and in the distance, covered with haze, you can see mountains with a river flowing under them.

Located in a narrow river valley. Already. There is no definite historical data about the origin of the castle. The construction of Nevitsky Castle occurred in the second half of the 13th century. For the first time he is remembered in a charter from the beginning of the 14th century. as a base for a popular uprising against the Hungarian crown.
In 1317, Nevitsky Castle came into the possession of the aristocratic Drugetiv family, who rebuilt it into stone. Nevitsky Castle occupied an important strategic position. From its walls it was possible to control the exit from the Uzhan Valley, through which the trade route from Hungary passed.

Externally, the castle is surrounded, except on the side that goes down to the river, by a deep earthen ditch. Next comes a wall with two round towers and the second, an internal moat that separates it from the main buildings of the fortress. On the south side of them, something apart, is a round two-story tower. In the middle there is a small, irregularly shaped courtyard.

The chronicler of Gesta Hungarorum cites a fable that in ancient times the Uzhgorod castle and its surroundings belonged to a certain prince Laborets. Nestor the Chronicler writes in 898: “The Ugrians came from the east and rushed through the great mountains, which were called the Ugor Mountains, and began to fight more and more against those living.” At the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century, a stone castle was built in Uzhgorod as administrative center Comitat Ung. And in 1086, during the raid of the Polovtsian horde of Khan Kutesk, the nomads were unable to take the Uzhgorod castle. The Uzhgorod castle, after its fortification, was never taken by storm. It was last defended by an Austrian garrison in 1703-1704 during the uprising led by Ferenc II Rakoczi. The latter’s comrade and owner of the castle, Miklos Berchenyi, received the ambassadors of France, Russia and Poland there during the anti-Habsburg uprising. After the end of the uprising, the Kurut garrison laid down their arms. After the partitions of Poland and the establishment of the eastern borders of Austria far to the east, the castle lost significance and was transferred by the Empress to the Mukachevo Greek Catholic diocese, which established a gymnasium here. There are two legends about Uzhgorod Castle, but in principle these are variations of the same story. The components of these legends are secret underground passages (there must be a secret in the legend), the daughter of the owner of the castle (the eternal Chercher la femme) and tragic love (well, what is a legend without love). The first legend about the Uzhgorod castle takes us to the 17th century, when it was owned by Count Druget. He had a daughter (very beautiful, of course). One of the neighboring governors decided to capture the Uzhgorod castle and, in order to find out how this could be done, disguised himself as a stranger. Arriving in Uzhgorod, he accidentally met Druget’s daughter. Of course, they fell in love with each other and the girl told all the secrets of the castle, including about the secret passage, which only her family knew about. Having learned about this, the father ordered his daughter to be walled up alive in the castle wall, and the governor to be executed. Since then, at midnight, the ghost of a girl (the so-called White Virgin) appears in the castle, looking for her beloved, and disappears with the first rooster. The second legend is also about a secret passage, but instead of the governor, the girl fell in love with her father’s servant. By the will of fate, he ended up in the camp of those who rebelled against the owner. Unable to bear the separation, his beloved, disregarding the danger, told him where they would meet in the evening - near a lonely oak tree that grew in the middle of a clearing away from the Uzhgorod castle. Why from him? Because it was to the oak tree that the secret passage led. But the father found out about this and the guy - instead of his beloved, whom he was looking forward to, saw in front of him three servants devoted to their master, who managed to track down the girl when she made her way to meet her beloved. In the castle, in front of the girl, he was executed, and the unfortunate woman was walled up alive in the castle wall. Since then, the ghost of a girl has been looking for her lover every night.

IN Soviet time The castle houses a local history museum.

Built in the 12th century. monastic-knightly order of the Templars. At the beginning of the XIV century. this order was accused of having connections with “evil spirits,” its members were imprisoned, its property was plundered, and the order itself was liquidated. After this, the castle becomes the property of the monks of the Order of St. Pavel.

For a century, the noble clans of Drugeti and Palochi fought for Serednyansky Castle. It ended in the interests of Palochi. During the liberation war of the Hungarian people 1703-1711. The castle was significantly damaged, after which it was no longer rebuilt.

Mukachevo Castle "Palanok". The White Palace is located in the center of Mukacheve. The former residence of the princes of Transylvania, built in the middle of the 17th century. At first it was a one-story building, but in 1746 Count Schönborn decided to rebuild it. A new building with a symmetrically placed outbuilding was added to the right side.

During the reconstruction, the beautiful semicircular ceilings were left unchanged, and the upper floor was made flat.
In general, the building itself was built in the Baroque style.

Built in the 15th century. Strategically, the castle was very well fortified: there were earthen ramparts and ditches around it, and on the south side it was protected by the river. Latoritsa. In 1657, the castle was significantly damaged by the Polish troops of Prince Lubomirski.

Over time, the castle lost its strategic importance, but during the Anti-Habsburg War of 1703-1711, after the defeat of the rebels, the rebel leader Ferenc II Rakoczi retreated to the castle. Subsequently, the castle was used as a prison.

Located on the southern slope of the forested mountains, at ur. Coastal.
In 1726, Emperor Charles VI donated the Mukachevo-Chinadievsky possessions to Archbishop Schönborn, whose family owned Chinadiev for almost two centuries.

The owners of the estates, the Counts of Schönborn, often came to Chinadievo for hunting and recreation, so in 1890 a castle was built in the Beregvar tract in the neo-Renaissance style, which personifies the calendar: the number of towers corresponds to the number of months in the year, the number of chimneys corresponds to the number of weeks, the number of windows and doors - number of days.

Located on the bank of the river. Borzhava in the village Kvasov. On the side of the plain, the castle is covered by a hill, “the mound of the beauty,” as the local inhabitants call it. This made it possible for the owner of the castle to unexpectedly attack merchants who were walking along the “salt path” along the river valley. Yews. At the same time, he controlled the exit from the Borzhava Valley.

The castle did not play any strategic role: it was an ordinary fortress of a feudal knight. In 1557-1563 The castle was owned by Pavel Motuznai, who established his own “laws” in the surrounding area: he robbed neighboring feudal lords with his haiduks.

Ruins of the Kankiv Castle visible on Black Mountain, in Vinogradivshchenye. The castle was first mentioned in the Hungarian chronicle, where it is said that in the 9th century. on the site of the castle there was a Slavic fort.

In the XI century. A castle was built here - a strong border point. However, by order of King Charles Robert, the castle was destroyed. Approximately in the same place in the 15th century. built a castle-monastery for the monks of the Franciscan order. Local inhabitants called it “Kankiv” - after the name of the woolen clothes of the monks. In 1558, as a result of feudal feuds, the castle was destroyed.

One of the oldest architectural landmarks of Transcarpathia, located on the way from the town of Vinogradov to Chorna Gora in a cozy park with exotic trees. The first building was built in the XIV century. It is a rectangular building with square towers at the corners. The massive walls are built of stone. The rooms of the palace are narrow, with low vaulted ceilings.

Significant reconstructions of the palace took place in the Baroque era. The façade was decorated with the coat of arms of the Perenei family, and the central hall with a fresco depicting Agasthenes and Esther. Currently, the palace houses the district education department.

the Royal Castle. The ruins of this castle are located on a steep cliff located on the southern outskirts of the village. To the Queen. A charter in 1272 indicates that this was a royal castle in which the rulers of Hungary stayed when they came to hunt bison.
The charter of 1378 says that King Zsigmond transferred the castle to the Maramoran zupan - the Wallachian governor Draghi, but at the end of the 14th century. took it and the possession from the governor and handed it over to Baron Perenya.
in 1514 rebels from the village. The queen and surrounding villages attacked the castle and burned the utility rooms.

In the XVI-XVII centuries. Disputes arose between the Pereny family and the Austrian authorities. After the anti-Habsburg conspiracy in 1672, by order of Emperor Leopold, the castle was destroyed, although the participation of the castle owners in the conspiracy was never proven. After this, the castle was never restored.

The exact date and name of the castle’s founder is not preserved in historical documents, but folk legend tells that it was built by robbers. Perhaps near the confluence of the Tisi river with the river. The river was some kind of robber fortress, from where it was possible to attack caravans that walked along the “salt path”. Captured by royal troops, it was converted into a royal castle.
In the XV century. Khust Castle performed not only defensive functions, but was also a prison.
In 1511, King Władysław II Jagiellon leased Khust Castle to Count Camp Pereni.
In 1571 the castle passed to the Principality of Transylvania. After 1683, the castle came under the rule of the Austrian Habsburgs. Over time, Khust Castle began to lose its strategic importance, so an Austrian garrison was stationed there.

However, it turned out to be fatal for the castle in 1766, when, during a severe thunderstorm, lightning struck the gunpowder tower and ignited it, causing the explosion to destroy a significant part of the fortress. In 1798, another thunderstorm toppled the tower in the south-eastern part of the castle, and the following year the authorities allowed the southern wall to be dismantled for the construction of a Catholic church in the city.

Bronetsky Castle. Leftovers medieval castle can be seen in the side intermountain of the Borzhavskaya Valley on a pointed rocky mountain.Unfortunately, there are few written references to Bronetsky Castle. The fortress was first mentioned in 1273 in a letter from the Hungarian king Laszlo IV, which states that the castle was taken from the enemies of his father Istvan V.

Vishkiv Castle. The first mention of the fortress belongs to the end of the 13th century. She played the role of guarding the waterway along the Tisza, which delivered rock salt from the Solotvyno salt mines. In 1300-1350 the fortress was the center of the Maramoro region.

In general, on the territory of Transcarpathia there are 12 ancient castles, which are archaeological sites of medieval architecture. The spirit of antiquity hovers around them, which creates many legends.

I have already written more than once that Transcarpathia is a unique region. Here different kingdoms, empires and cultures collided, were born and died, often leaving behind the same cultural heritage, which still carries within itself the memory and spirit of the times of almost a thousand years ago. Castles, palaces, fortresses, fortifications - all this is in abundance here, in different states - from almost destroyed, to sparkling spiers and brightly painted walls. In the two days that we devoted to the castles of Transcarpathia, you can see a lot or almost nothing, however, in any case, you can get an idea. So, go ahead :)

Mukachevo Castle or Palanok Castle.

An absolute gem, one of only five castles in Europe preserved in this form. Very beautiful and powerful, giving many vivid images to artists and writers.

According to one of the legends, the castle stands on a hill, hand-built by residents nestled at the bottom of the town of Mukachevo. This is where the name of the city “Mukachevo” came from, with the root of the word “flour”, because the people’s labor was hard labor and turned into flour. The next photo is not mine, but I consider it necessary to insert it to fully understand the grandeur of the ancient fortress.

The reality turned out to be much less tragic, but no less surprising. The castle was built on a rock that appeared out of nowhere (rocky outcrop), right in the middle of the Transcarpathian plain, and of volcanic origin.

The citadel has many tragic and heroic pages in its history. Exact time the building is not known, but the castle was first mentioned in documents at the beginning of the 11th century, that is, a thousand (!!!) years ago... The awareness of this and of yourself standing in the middle of the castle courtyard, touching the stones of the walls, immerses you in some very distant worlds and the atmosphere of this giant portal to the past. Fantastic!!!

With your permission, I will deliberately not provide any historical information, limiting myself only to personal feelings.

I also remembered...under the ringing laughter of my wife, I refused to go down into the dungeon for an excursion...I was fooled by vampires...)))) anyone who has watched Twilight will understand))))

Castle of Saint Miklos.

Built on the border between the 14th and 15th centuries, the castle has a very a beautiful legend. Years have carried with them the memory that a kind ghost lives in the castle, helping you find your soul mate - your love. And strange as it may seem, many meetings took place in the castle, which became the beginning of great love.

Hunting castle of Schönborn.

This amazing place is either a castle or a palace. When you find yourself next to him, it’s as if you find yourself in Europe of the 18th-19th centuries. Or a piece of Europe itself ended up here by chance... In any case, everything is not so. The owners of these lands in the 19th century, the Shenborn family was very fond of hunting. According to their instructions, a wooden hunting lodge was built here in 1840.

Just 50 years later, on the site of the wooden building, the palace that can be seen now grew up, becoming one of the architectural pearls of Transcarpathia.

One of the remarkable pages in the history of the castle was the interest of Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering in the castle during the Second World War. There were even negotiations between Nazi Germany, the owners of the castle and the government of Carpathian Ukraine about the purchase. However, the deal did not take place.

In the post-war period, the giant Karpaty sanatorium was organized here. And so, it was no longer nobles who began to walk through the palace parks, but simple resting workers...

Castle of the Knights Templar.

The famous knightly order. The sacraments of monks and the valor of knights, red crosses on white cloaks and holy relics... all this Western Europe, isn't it... isn't it. The movement of knights also reached the western borders of modern Ukraine, founding their castle - a stronghold - at the end of the 12th century.

In the Middle Ages, Transcarpathia was the scene of the battle for the Hungarian crown of local feudal lords. And the castle also changed hands quite often.

These days the condition of the castle is depressing and, frankly speaking, I don’t think it will improve. It's a pity. A nice place!

Uzhgorod castle.

One of the main attractions of Uzhgorod. The castle was already known in the 10th century, and all modern technologies and knowledge were used in its construction. Now it is a city museum, where you can learn a lot of interesting things about the past of the city and the fortress.

The fortress is beautiful, but what I remember most is the torture chamber in the castle’s dungeon!

The entire exposure is very natural and causes very noticeable goosebumps on the skin :)))

For dessert, I left the castle that I liked the most...

Nevitsky Castle.

Many legends surround this colorful and scary place. In the Middle Ages, many horrors, miracles and savages happened. And everything seems natural for those distant times. Mentions of Nevitsky Castle date back to the 12th century.

One of the legends tells of a woman, the owner of the castle, who, in order to strengthen the mortar that held the walls together, ordered the addition of eggs and milk, including breast milk from nursing women. Infants began to die of hunger, and crying and wailing were heard everywhere. But this seemed not enough, and an order followed to add human blood...

Another legend tells about a certain noblewoman who lived in this castle. Who loved to take baths with the blood of young girls. In one of the sources I found a mention that Count Vlad Dracula was even interested in this woman and visited (???).