The castle area has an approximately oval ground plan and consists of the first and second bailey and the inner castle. There is a massive wall around the castle core. The smaller inner courtyard is surrounded by a palace on the eastern side and on the opposite side there is a building with a firing area. On the southern side of the inner castle there is an outside castle tower with a hint of a circular tank. The inner castle adjoins the first bail with the outer walls and on the south and east side is the second bail.The castle is in care of the civic association Leustach. The castle has been undergoing reconstruction work for many years, the walls and many buildings have been stabilized. Although the castle is a ruin, it is in very good condition and ready for tourists.

No exact records of the origin of the castle are kept, but in the document from 1293 the path leading under the village Hrušov is indirectly mentioned. The first mention of the Hrušov castle belongs to a castellan Ladislav from 1316, whom Matúš Čák imprisoned and tortured for treason. Since he was still in Matúš's service in 1308, historians assume the Čák family were the builders of the castle. The main function of the castle was to guard the trade route connecting Požitavie with Ponitrie.

After the death of Matúš Čák in 1321, the castle belonged to the Levický family, later it fell into the hands of the royal castellans and after 1369 it had several temporary owners or tenants. From 1387, the castle became an aristocratic property.

During the anti-royal conspiracy in 1403, at a time when the castle was forcibly held by the Kanizsians, it was conquered from the newly built fortifications opposite the castle under the leadership of Petr Forgách. After 1446, the castle was extensively restored during the tenure of the lords of Záblatie. From 1504 to 1550 the castle was owned by a wealthy Salcer family from Záblatie. Beginning with Ján, members of the family used the surname Hrušovský. Thanks to them, the castle was fortified and expanded with living space.

The castle was forcibly seized by the lords of Topoľčianky. In 1554, Juraj and Tomáš of Topoľčianky managed to acquire the castle into hereditary ownership and, in addition, unite the Hrušov and Topoľčianky estates. After the extinction of the Topoľčiansky family from 1615, the Hungarian King Matej II. sold the castle to Ladislav Pethe. Later, in the marriage of his daughter Anna and Pavel Rákóczi in 1624, it became one of the most influential Hungarian families´ properties.

Sometime at the beginning of the 17th century, the south-eastern fort was extended by a new wall with a sharp corner, which was completed in 1662 by Ladislav Rákóczi.

In 1708, during the anti-Habsburg uprising, the castle was conquered by the imperial army and destroyed so that it could no longer serve the insurgents.

The crumbling ruin was stabilized by a more extensive conservation in the years 1928-30 at the initiative of President T.G. Masaryk, whose monument can be seen ascending the castle. Since 2004, the Leustach civic association has been trying to save the castle, which has significantly contributed to its conservation and stabilization.

The rumour says

After the lost battle of the Kurucs near the town Trenčín, the Labans rolled over to Hrušov and the frightened Mrs. Rákóczi, losing her balance, jumped out of the tower window. The benevolent lady was captured by angels in the summer and hid in a short distance near Topoľčianky.

Hrušov treasures

Treasures were hidden in three barrels in the cellars under the ruins of Hrušov. One was guarded by a huge crayfish, the other by a snake, and on the third a rooster sat. Once upon a time, a shepherd was chosen and his friends dropped him underground on the rope. However, when he wanted to take gold money from the first barrel, the rooster started screaming, the snake hissed angrily, and the crayfish cut the rope with loud claws that held a huge weight above the first barrel. It fell on the shepherd with all its weight. Since then, no one has ventured to enter the Hrušov castle underground.

The ruins are freely accessible

https://www.hrady-zamky.sk/hrusov/