The oldest core of the castle was a narrow longitudinal palace at the end of the central summit and the courtyard in front of it. The tower added to its western forehead additionally and for the period even illogically attached, but before it had to initially probably rounded wall. Conical tower has a space with a diameter of 6.5 m and walls almost 3m thick, so they could be used for housing, but the absence of firing chambers and loopholes and position above the entrance surprisingly ranks to bergfrits (bergfrit - round main tower of the castle). The buildings have been preserved peripheral masonry to a considerable height and the Gothic palace remains of the Renaissance attic and Renaissance lining windows and cornice. On the second courtyard, they added a building to the gate with an undercut and the defense of the castle was provided by a large cannon bastion in the east and a cannon bastion in the west. The last, third courtyard is directed to the SE in front of a large bastion and protects the entrance to the premises.In the preserved part of the castle there is a museum, which includes: historical exposition, exposition of period furniture and cool weapons and exposition acquainting visitors with the life and pedigree of the last owners of the castle - the Zamoy family. There is also an exhibition room in the castle, where there are exhibitions every season. Barrel and Prussian vaults have been preserved in some rooms, and a torture chamber has been preserved underground. Among the preserved parts of the castle is the castle chapel.

The supposed foundation of Ľubovňa Castle dates back to the second half of the 13th century, but the first mention comes from 1311. According to this mention, the widow of the nobleman Omodej Ab and his sons undertake to return the castle of Ľubovňa to the king. However, it follows that it was founded by King Andrew III. However, due to the Abovce uprising, the castle was not handed over and the royal army had to conquer it a year later. King Charles Robert rewarded Philip Drugeth with it. In 1330, the castle returned to the king.

In 1412, the castle, together with the 13th Spiš towns and the estates of Ľubovňa and Podolínecký castles, entered the Polish advance. The mayors of the reserved towns lived in Ľubovňa Castle. Peter Kmit stood out from the Polish captains of Spiš, and after giving the castle in advance to Mikuláš Jordán from 1522, Peter's son of the same name probably continued. In 1432 and 1451 it was damaged during the Hussite wars, in 1553 it was almost destroyed by a large fire. Štefan Boner was responsible for its restoration in 1555, and until 1557 it was enriched with Renaissance elements. The castle was extensively renovated and expanded, paying great attention to the anti-Turkish Renaissance fortress. In the years 1591 - 1745, the mayor of the reserved places was inherited by the Polish princely family Lubomirski, during which a number of construction works were carried out on the castle. They modified the buildings on the terrace of the second courtyard, on the southwest corner, repaired the former castle buildings and finished many of them with decorative attics. During the battles for the Polish throne, the castle was occupied by the Austrian army for two years in 1587, and soon after in 1593 it was bought by the Spiš captain Sebastián Lubomirski, whose magnate family inherited the castle in 1634.

In the 17th century, the castle was enlarged and baroqued. In 1647 they built a chapel and built a third courtyard. Wife of Albert III. and the mayor of the reserve towns, Mária Jozefína, ordered the castle to be repaired. The project was developed by Francesco Placidi in the middle of the 18th century, but did not materialize. Between 1754 and 1756, only the most necessary modifications took place, and in this condition the castle was bought by Henrich von Brühl. In 1768, the famous adventurer Móric Beňovský, who was imprisoned there, fled the castle. In 1772, the backed Spiš towns returned to Hungary. The castle ceased to be the seat of the mayor of the reserved towns and its importance declined. It was used as a barracks, later it served as a warehouse and finally in 1819 the state sold it to J. Felix Raisz, whose family, however, released the castle in 1880 to the city for costly maintenance. Even the town could not maintain the castle and therefore sold it in 1883. The new owner was the Polish count Zamoyski, who had the chapel and residential tract on the south terrace repaired in 1930 and set up a small museum there. It was owned by the castle until 1945. Shortly after that year, the reconstructed building was used as a school in the spirit of the time. It was not until 1971 that archaeological and architectural research began at the castle. The latest addition is the roofing of the main tower and its gradual repair.

The rumour says

In July 1768, Móric Beňovský, a nobleman, traveler and later king of Madagascar, was imprisoned at the castle when he tried to organize a military unit on the run from the court.

The legend of the origin of the Ľubovňa castle

One summer day, on the banks of the river Poprad near the town of Ľubovňa, estranged riders, commanded by the old nobleman Ľubovenský, stopped. The surrounding landscape liked it so much that on the same day he decided to build a castle on a cliff opposite the town. The next day, his sons and his helpers laid the foundations of the future castle and named it after their father - Ľubovňa. Except at night, everything that was built during the day disappeared, and so it kept repeating itself. Sad Ľubovenský discovered that the place where he wanted to build a castle belonged to an evil fairy-witch. So he went to her and asked her permission to finish his castle at that place. The evil fairy-witch agreed on the condition that she sell her soul to her. After a difficult decision, Ľubovenský agreed because he wanted to leave the magnificent residence to his sons. The next day, the castle shone in all its glory and everyone was very pleased. But old Ľubovenský did not have a soul on the spot, so he went to a nearby monastery and there he confessed his great sin. The evil fairy-witch learned of his betrayal and decided to destroy the castle. She took a huge rock in her hands, but as she approached the castle, an evening bell rang from a nearby monastery. The fairy-witch lost power and a large boulder fell on the banks of the river Poprad instead of the castle. Old Ľubovenský reconciled to God lived happily at this castle for a long time and after him his sons, grandsons ... No one has ever heard anything about the evil fairy-witch in this region, but a large boulder on the bank of the river Poprad near the village Hajtovka can be seen today...

Opening hours and admission

http://www.hradlubovna.sk/sk/info-sk/

https://www.hrady-zamky.sk/lubovniansky-hrad/