Classicist chateau built on the site of a gothic water castle, north of Zlaté Moravce at the foot of Tribeč
The chateau now serves as a museum with a well-preserved period interior, a chateau library containing more than 14,000 volumes and collections of ceramics and porcelain. The three Renaissance wings of the chateau with a mansard extension now serve as a hotel part.Situated in the Classicist wing, the museum presents historical furniture and home furnishings, including carpets, embroidered Oriental curtains, paintings, ceramics, clocks, as well as weapons. All exhibits left on their departure in October 1918 - the last owners - Archduke Joseph August Habsburg with his wife Augusta, granddaughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I. In the fifties the exhibits were moved to salons according to the same style and historical period, which created purely Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Classicist and Biedermeier expositions. Part of the chateau is also a large park in English style, in which a classicist greenhouse has been preserved. Part of the complex is also a riding school with the famous horse breeding in the national stud farm, founded in 1921.
The village of Topoľčianky is first mentioned in a document of a detour of the property of the Nitra Chapter from 1293 under the name TOPOLCHEN PARVUM. The founder of the family of lords from Topoľčianky was Július Hoslav (Haslav), who is also mentioned in connection with the ownership of the then castle, the predecessor of today's chateau. Later, with the title of count, he also adopted the name Topoľčiansky.
Originally a Gothic water castle and later a Renaissance fortress stood on the site of the current chateau. From 1561, Topoľčianky was the seat of Tekovská County for almost 200 years and the fortress played an important role in the defense against the Turks. The then owner, Ján Topoľčiansky, had it rebuilt on old foundations.
In the middle of the 17th century, Count Ladislav Rákóczi and his wife Alžbeta Bánffy carried out the last major building modification of the Renaissance chateau. From this period, their Alliance coat of arms has been preserved above the eastern gate of the entrance to the castle with a Latin inscription from 1662. They had two daughters, Annamaria and Elizabeth, married to Erdödy. The fact that Alžbeta Rákóczi-Erdödy moved to the nearby Hrušov Castle as a widow was used by her close relative František H. Rákóczi and he also moved with the army to the vacated Topoľčiansky chateau. As a leader, he fought on the side of the Kurucs in rebellion against the emperor. In August 1708, the imperial troops defeated the rebels. Imperial General Heister entered Topoľčianky. Rákóczi managed to escape and died in exile in Turkey in 1735. With the death of Alžbeta Rákóczi-Erdöda in 1707, the Rákóczi and Erdödy family of Topoľčany died out. All the property was confiscated in favor of King Joseph I of Habsburg. The wealthy Prince Coburg bought the manor in 1710, but in the autumn of 1711 he sold it to Count Karol Zichy. He repaired the ruined fortress, as well as the Gothic church and rectory. In 1742, during the reign of Queen Maria Theresa, the Zichy family sold the castle together with the manor to Count Adam Keglevich from the Hungarian branch of the Croatian aristocratic year de Buzin. The Keglevich family owned the chateau until 1890. The third local count, Count Ján Keglevich, a county governor of Tekov, had the southern Renaissance wing demolished at the beginning of the 19th century, and in 1818-1825 he built a classicist wing in its place according to the project of the Viennese architect Alojz Pichl. This classicist wing of the chateau is considered to be the most beautiful and purest architectural manifestation of classicism in Slovakia.
The castle was also the summer residence of the Habsburgs, after the First World War it served as a presidential resort. Attic apartments for presidential guests and visitors were built above the Renaissance wing. Among the guests was e.g. also the first president of Czechoslovakia T.G.Masaryk, but also Antonín Zápotocký.
The classicist wing became a museum of historical furniture and home accessories, such as paintings, old clocks, ceramics, carpets, embroidered oriental curtains, weapons. All the furniture of the chateau is original as left here by the last aristocratic owners of the chateau and manor - Archduke Joseph August Habsburg and his wife Archduchess Augusta, granddaughter of Emperor Francis Joseph I, on his departure from the chateau in October 1918.
The three renaissance wings of the chateau with a manard superstructure currently serve as a hotel part. Their ground floor parts serve as dining and common rooms. The castle library, founded by Count Ján Keglevich, also attracts the attention of visitors. Part of the castle is the Castle Chapel, built in 1662 in the northwestern bastion.
White lady
Alžbeta Rákóczi married Adam Erdödy at the age of 13, but he soon died in a battle with the Turks. She was married for the second time to his brother Juraj, who, however, no longer had Adam's moral qualities. Elizabeth still wore a white dress because white was once the color of sorrow. From an unhappy marriage, she fled to religion and charity - she built an orphanage, a hospital, and helped people. Her heart has broken since her misfortune and she is still wandering around the Topoľčiansky chateau, looking for her love. She can feel her most here in the evening, her favorite place is the chapel and arcaded corridors.
Opening hours and admission