Hrad Gymes, Over the forests

20th October 2021

I love to find some interesting spots in the countries I visit that aren’t very well known outside of it. Hrad Gymes is an old fortified castle ruin in the Nitra region of Slovakia. I assume, you’ve never heard of it and you may have never visited Slovakia. With some relatives living there, I know pretty well the country and having discovered this spot during the summer of 2018, I had to go back for I suspected the view on the flaming autumn forests would be stunning.

With not-so-interesting cities and a few cultural points of interest destroyed by years of communism, Slovakia is a place to visit if you are a nature lover. The Tatras mountains in the north region are not the only beautiful asset of Slovakia but the touristic organization of the whole country suffers from a lack of information and directions on how to get to the best places. During the Roman occupation, Slovakia, a part of old Pannonia, was made of nurturing lands producing refined wines served at the table of rich European families and all around the Empire. Later, during the Middle Ages, its fortified castles and star-shaped fortresses where taken as an exemple of the most advanced techniques and known for their huge dimensions. Many ruins of those fortified castles can still be visited in Slovakia, some even bigger than Hrad Gymes but very few benefit from such a preserved landscape and unique position.

The Nitra region is a rather flat piece of land shaped by the Danube with a few hills here and there. The ruin of the medieval castle dating back to the 13th century stands on an almost single hill with a 360° breathtaking view of the Danube valley. Stretches of pristine forest and fields are almost devoid of any habitations apart from a village here and there.

The Castle is thought to be built by the family Hont-Pázmány around 1250, when the region was part of old Hungary, a Kingdom at the time. Rivalries and wars passed the ownership of the place from hand to hand until the early 1800’s when the castle was finally abandoned by its last owners, the Forgách family. I’ve read that the fortified castle with its unique position resisted to several attacks from the Turks until they overtook the place in 1576 and destroyed it to some extent. The castle was then repaired to be conquered back again by the Turks in 1663 after the fall of fortified city Nové Zamky positioned about 60km from there. Gymes is one of the few fortified castles that underwent a renovation during the 19th century.

As I was standing at the top of a crumpling tower, with my eyes going as far as the horizon let me, I did not wonder the place was almost unconquerable. One could see the enemies come as far as a 3 days distance by horse. Steep rocks and thick forests made as many natural ramparts adding to the strength of the castle.

But let me tell you first how to reach the castle. Kostoľany pod Tríbečom is the village at the foot of the hill where you have to park if you come by car. The village is a typical Slovak agglomeration of a few houses and one main road also called Kostoľany pod Tríbečom leading to some parking spaces on the right, number 79. A wooden picnic table with a roof and a statue of a Saint are the only signs a touristic attraction is near. As we started at dawn, no one was parked and the village was silent with a few dogs barking in the blue shadows. A few steps from the parking lot, there is crossroad with a path going left and one going right. First time I visited the place, the signs were down and I got lost, trying to find the path leading to the top of the hill. This time, the trees were marked. Most direct way is to take the yellow hiking trail on the left for about 30 minutes until you reach a smaller trail going directly up the hill marked with green signs. The ascent is sportive but not too difficult and takes about 10 minutes to the castle. Mid October, the walk under the tall trees of the forest up the hill was enchanting for the eyes, with every foliage a different shade of gold and copper. Long shadows from the slowly rising sun created a mysterious atmosphere while we hurried to the top, hoping to watch the sun emerge from the horizon with a clear view.

The castle is made of few buildings and towers built at different times and connected by tall walls. Every time, I walked up to a tower or a half fallen rampart I had my breath taken away by the view appearing suddenly before my amazed eyes. At my feet, the steepness of the hill made it even more unreal as if I was thrown back to some ancient time and I could feel the wind blow into my damsel veil. Looking left or looking right, back and forth, a different landscape offered itself to my eyes. The morning sun from this tower, brown fields from that other, the thick forest aflame with autumn colors in the back and a gold tree here and there. A very touching place was the chapel recognizable to it’s pillars and long windows. A legend says the Holy Mary appeared to the praying Lady of the place while the castle was under a Turkish attack. A thunderstorm broke and the Turks fled thus making the chapel very special.

middle photo : Derek Malou / side photos : Salomé Malou

Like the first time I was there, the wind was blowing strong on the hill and you have to be careful with the steep walls and half broken staircases. I will never get tired of the impression this place gives you when you’re within its walls. You’re just wondering how humans did to built those heavy stone walls, how they got their material up the hill and how it would have been to live there. I can’t describe, you have to experience it but all I can say, is that this a grand place and worth visiting. It’s not just some interesting museum teaching history, when you’re there, you feel the history and that’s what is important to me.

Hrad Gymes, Over the forests

Grindelwald, Back to my first love

Salomé M.