Zborov Castle

Zborov Castle (Slovak Zborovský hrad, also called Makovica; Hungarian Zboró vára) is a ruined Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque era stone castle above the village of Zborov in Bardejov District, Prešov Region, in east Slovakia. The village of Zborov and Zborov Castle lie in the traditional region of Šariš. The castle is listed in the National Cultural Heritage list of the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic.

History
The oldest written record about the castle comes from the 13th century but older fortification had existed before. Prior to that, fortifications were built on a nearby hill called Hradske (from the Slavic hrad for castle).

Legends
Local legends say that the castle was originally to be built on the nearby higher hill of Hradske but all the stones placed there to build the castle mysteriously moved during the night onto the nearby lower hill on which it now stands. Rumours held that Hradske was the site of a gate into hell and that devils were moving the stones during the night to stop the gate being blocked. Eventually the efforts to build the castle on Hradske were abandoned and construction moved to the current site.

Later, the devil who was responsible for moving the stones was caught and bricked up in the walls of the highest tower in the castle where his horns can still be seen today. It is widely believed however, that the workers didn't want to carry the stones up to the original site as it was too high and so they secretly moved their work from the day to the smaller hill during the night. They then spread the tales about hauntings so that construction would be moved to the easier to climb hill.

Access and tourism
The castle can be reached by turning right, off the main Bardejov to Zborov road, just after the village sign. From the bridge, it is a ten to fifteen minute walk up the hill to the castle. Another access route is from the nearby Dlhá Lúka, a northern rural borough of Bardejov.

In the village of Zborov there is a tourist information office at Obrancov Mieru 10, providing further information on the castle.

Preservation
A local civic association, Združenie na záchranu Zborovského hradu, was formed in the late 2000s to prevent further deterioration of the ruins and contribute to their research and careful conservation. Work so far has included cutting all trees within 20 metres of the outer curtain wall to stop the roots undermining the foundations.