A Dark History Travel Story from Bratislava to the Ruins of Countess Elizabeth Báthory’s Castle
Taking a day trip from Bratislava to Čachtice Castle, the haunting ruins once belonging to the legend of the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory, was an adventure I won’t forget. A European Castle and historic site with a background steeped in Dark History, and apparently one of the most haunted places in Slovakia, sits on top of a hill waiting to be explored.
Arriving in Višňové Beneath the Blood Countess's Castle
When I first got off the train in the sleepy village of Višňové, there was no one there apart from one person with a hood up, strangely a girl of around 10 who had got off the train just before me, and the only person I encountered on my way up to the ancient castle ruins.
She was very polite and said hello to me in Slovakian. I replied “hello,” she smiled, and continued walking.
A quiet, sleepy village nestled in the Little Carpathians, where stories of virgin sacrifices and blood bathing haunt the ruins of this former hilltop castle.
This is where I had arrived at. Somewhere I had imagined exploring, on my quest for Dark History and haunting legends.
This historic place is the landmark of the alleged killings of over 600 virgins by the noblewoman and alleged serial killer, Elizabeth Bathory. Although there are many arguments against the number of victims, or indeed victims at all, Čachtice Castle in Slovakia is the final resting place and historic prison of the Blood Countess, Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
Travelling from Bratislava to One of Slovakia's Darkest Historical Places
My train journey to Čachtice Castle was an experience. My connection from Bratislava was late, so I’m thinking I’ve definitely missed my train. With no other one for an hour, I decided there was no point in being annoyed and would see if I could find a shop. But thankfully, after crossing the under-passage and onto the platform, the little train was waiting, ready to leave. It was around 3 minutes after it should have departed. Perhaps it was waiting for the train to come in; I don’t know, but it was pretty lucky, and I got on just in time for it to leave!
I sat opposite a man on the train with a lot of luggage. He said something to me in Slovakian about his baggage and smiled, to which I replied, “It’s ok,” thinking he was saying something about having so much stuff. He continued to stare at me on and off for the duration of the journey. I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back. Just stared. After muttering something to the train attendant (who was lovely), she shrugged him off and he continued to stare.
I figured he was just annoyed with tourists. Even though it was out of season and there weren’t exactly many around, only me! Oh, maybe that’s why! I gave up trying to be polite and watched the world go by outside the train window.
We passed Čachtice Village, where you can get off, but it’s around an hour walk to the castle. Being daylight savings, and around 1:30 pm, I didn’t have the time for that, so I got off at the next stop at a sleepy village called Višňové. You can see Čachtice Castle ruins standing at the top of the hill when the train approaches the station, with the sleepy village underneath it.
I was very excited to see this, as it had been in my mind to explore here for quite a while! I pressed the button to get off the train too late, and the doors didn’t open. The rickety train started to leave, so I ran to the lovely attendant and said I couldn’t open the door.
She stopped the train, and finally I had arrived!
Getting off the train and into the Sleepy Village of Višňové
The village was very eerie, but humble at the same time. It was like walking through a Spanish country town when everyone was having a siesta; it was quite an interesting experience. With smoke coming from some of the chimneys, I knew there were people home, but perhaps just nestled in their houses, keeping cosy and warm.
A very quiet, strange place, I thought. I had read a review that someone had posted, mentioning that the way up to the castle from the village was quite eerie, and they were definitely right! I crossed over a stream on a cute little bridge, and took in the view of the little Carpathian Mountains in the distance. As the village is located within the Višňovská Valley, the mountains surround you completely. It was quite spectacular, like I was being swallowed up by the mountains! It added drastically to the eerie vibe of the adventure.
Walking through Višňové was honestly like being in a movie. If it wasn’t for the few cars that passed through onto the road connecting the small towns, I would have thought I was actually transported to some other world! I was actually strangely thankful for the little bits of reality pulling me back from this ‘Silent Hill’ type moment.
Hiking to the Historic Site of Čachtice Castle
As I made my way down the road, there was a tree with a sign ‘Hrad’ meaning ‘Castle’ pointing in the direction of the path up to the castle ruins. There was a route around and a pathway up the mountain. So up I went! Now this is a very steep hill and is a mission in itself, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t used to hiking up a hill, or you might end up falling down it!
I also lost the path halfway so ended up climbing through some trees to make my own way. You may be able to get to the castle by following another path, but I was eager to get there and even more eager to climb to get there. It was all part of the adventure!
It’s a very eerie place. I passed a worksite and a van, but no working people. It’s likely it was lunchtime, so this is probably why! The forest on the opposite hill was so dark it was almost black in comparison to the sun shining on the hill of the castle (see below), and the only thing I could hear was the sound of angry dogs barking in the distance. Just a little unnerving.
Exploring the Medieval Castle
Once I’d reached the castle, I didn’t find it creepy at all. The village and the forest surrounding it were much more eerie. I found the castle quite calming. But then I usually do with castle ruins. Something about the history: what was once noisy, is now crumbled and silent, but with evidence that there were once many things going on, and now the castle can sleep.
It’s like it’s reached old age and it’s going back to the ground again, but people still come to visit. There is something quite magical about castle ruins. I have always liked them.
I sat at the top of the hill on the ruins and ate my Brie and tomato sandwich. I also sketched some of the castle walls while I was up there soaking in the view and the sunshine. I felt quite serene being up there. The inside of the castle was closed as it was out of season, but I had a good look around the rest of the ruins (you can get a ticket on the door but always check opening times before you go!) you can find them here:
What drew me to this particular castle is the story of the Hungarian Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. This is where she was imprisoned for the alleged killing of over 600 virgin girls in the hope of retaining eternal youth by drinking and bathing in their blood. There are many discrepancies in the story as people tell it today, and there is a large conspiracy and possibility of the Countess being condemned for the sake of her land (which was much more valuable than money in those days – and she owned a lot!).
You can read more about the Blood Countess and the history of the castle here:
Why Visit This Historic Landmark in Slovakia?
Well, if you’re drawn to eerie places with Dark History, castle ruins, or European countryside, then you might want to take a visit too! After doing some dark history research on my trip to Budapest, I knew it absolutely had to be on the places to visit list!
To find out more about the history of the castle, click here:
Also, if you’re up for a day trip and are staying in Bratislava, then I would highly recommend this one! If you need more practical advice on visiting the castle, then click this link here:
If you are interested in the history of the Blood Countess, I have written a highly researched blog post on this historical figure, which you can find here:
The Castle Cat and Guardian of This Historic Building
I also met a cat! A chubby ginger cat who meowed to me from behind; I didn’t expect him, but there he was! My little castle cat friend. Cats are definitely my spirit animal, and I was pretty tired from all my previous adventuring and the creepy experiences I’d had lately, so it was a very welcome event to have a cat friend to stroke in the sunshine. He stayed with me for a while until he disappeared out of sight.
Cats are historically known as ‘protectors’ or ‘guardians’ of places across the world, and are widely considered a spiritual talisman to ward off evil spirits and unwanted supernatural visitors. They were also used historically for the purpose of protecting the food stores of castles from vermin like diseased rats from stealing and infecting food. I took the cat as a good omen!
I made my way back down the hill as the sun disappeared behind the surrounding mountains, skidding over the stone fragments and pinecones most of the way. I walked back through the eerie village and eagerly waited for the little train to take me away from there before it turned into night! I didn’t really fancy being stuck there in the dark.
My journey back from Čachtice Castle
My journey back to Bratislava was uneventful, and I was glad to have time to reminisce about where I had just been. There’s something really quite magical about visiting a place that resonates with you, and being in that energy.
I do fully believe that you can tap into the energy of a place, like when you walk into somewhere, and your hair stands up on end for no reason, or you feel like someone’s watching you. That kind of thing.
Although I didn’t feel anything strange up at the castle, something strange did happen when I got back to the UK and was going through some photos of my travels. It definitely startled me, and honestly gave me prickles on the back of my neck when I saw it, but that’s another story about one of these photographs that you can read separately here (if you dare!)
I don’t know about you, but I’d still like to know exactly what went down at Čachtice Castle during Elizabeth Bathory’s time there.
Perhaps, no one will ever really know!
Final Thoughts on Visiting Elizabeth Bathory's Castle
From a historical standpoint, this castle is rich in history like many European castles and really is worth a visit. I would imagine there would be more tourists and explorers around during the busier months, so depending on what type of experience you’re after would determine the time you should pay a visit.
As always, be respectful of the past, and of the present! The local residents are the ones who want a quiet life and get bombarded with tourists, but it also keeps the castle in a condition that people can still visit, which I think is really special in terms of the historical significance of European development, how things change over the years, and a castle on a hill is always a great thing to see.
Whether the stories are true or not, it’s always a good idea to pay your respects to the past, to acknowledge what happened to shape where we are today, and here, to be silent for a while for the girls who may or may not have died here.
More information on Čachtice Castle and the Blood Countess
More information on the History of Čachtice Castle here:
Curious for More...??
If you have enjoyed this blog post and are interested in exploring Čachtice Castle yourself, then I have also written a Čachtice Castle Travel Guide with public transport information from Bratislava.
I would highly recommend an adventure out this way, for the hike, the views, the history of the castle, and Dark History of Elizabeth Báthory, the Blood Countess.
As always, if you have enjoyed this article and would like to read more, then stay tuned as there will be many more to come like this!
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Louise X