The vintage charm of Slovakia’s Orava Castle

Orava Castle, one of its most beautiful castles in Slovakia, is situated on a high rock along the Orava river in the village of Oravský Podzámok. (REUTERS)

Updated on: Nov 01, 2016 6:48 PM IST

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Orava Castle, one of its most beautiful castles in Slovakia, is situated on a high rock along the Orava river in the village of Oravský Podzámok. (REUTERS)

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The castle dates back to 1297 when the region was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. (REUTERS)

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Many scenes of the 1922 film Nosferatu were shot here with the castle representing Count Orlok’s Transylvanian castle, a character based on Count Dracula. (REUTERS)

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A hearse carriage is seen inside Orava Castle. The castle is at a site where there is an old wooden fortification, built after the Mongol invasion of Hungary of 1241. (REUTERS)

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The orginal design was in Romanesque and Gothic style but was later reconstructed as a Renaissance and Neo-Gothic structure. (REUTERS)

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Tourists walk inside Orava Castle. The castle in its present form came into being only in 1611 when the mining magnate Thurzo family took it over and did a fair bit of reconstruction work. (REUTERS)

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The castle was severely damaged when a fire broke out in 1800 after which it was no longer used as a residence. (REUTERS)

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Cannons seen inside Orava Castle. Through the two world wars it remained in a state of disrepair and neglect but soon after was reclaimed as a national monument. (REUTERS)

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The castle houses a museum now, considered one of the oldest in Slovakia, which is full of weapons, folk art and period furniture. (REUTERS)

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The castle boasts of two mirrors, one that makes you look beautiful and another one that makes you look ugly. (REUTERS)