Holiday apartment in Likavka – Likava Castle, Mill and Choč

Likava Castle is one of the largest castle complexes in central Slovakia. It is a royal guard castle dating from the first third of the 14th century and was first mentioned in writing in 1341. In 1707, it was demolished on the orders of Prince František II Rákóczi.

Culture and History

Likava Castle is closed due to ongoing reconstruction work. On the north side, an old castle road leads to the walls of Likava Castle. The Hunyady Tower houses an exhibition on the history of the castle, featuring pictorial and material exhibits. Following extensive reconstruction work, the tower was opened to the public in 2004.

An independent memorial in Likavka commemorates eleven insurgents and partisans who were murdered there on January 26, 1945. The memorial is located in a wooded natural setting and is accessible via stone steps.

The watermill in Likavka also represents the history of the village. It was probably built in 1435 under Ján Hunyadi, at the same time as the bakery of Likava Castle. The watermill is the only surviving mill in the region and has been listed in the central register of Slovak monuments since 2016. It was in operation approximately from 1640 to 1950.

Trails

The “Na Likavu” circular trail from Likavka is 2.5 kilometers long, takes approximately one hour, is marked in red and has an elevation gain of 115 meters. Near Likavka, the circular trail connects to the red-marked hiking trail from Ružomberok to Likava Castle and continues to the Sedlo Spuštiak saddle.

There are parking spaces for the “Na Likavu” circular trail on E77 in the street called “Pod hradom.” The “Likavka,,hrad” bus stop is about 200 meters from the starting point of the route. The circular trail is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility or for strollers.

For classifying the trails, the difference between the short circular trail and the long connection via Choč is decisive. The former is described as requiring a limited amount of time, while the latter route is clearly more extensive, as indicated by its elevation gain, duration and classification as comparatively demanding.

Landscape

Another hiking route from Likavka to Lúčky leads via Likava Castle, Predný Choč, Spuštiak, Stredná poľana and Veľký Choč. The route from Likavka via these stops to Lúčky is considered comparatively demanding, has an elevation gain of 1,114 meters and takes 6 hours and 45 minutes. Near the summit, it reaches a high-alpine landscape.

The lower courtyard of Likava Castle offers a partial view of Likavka and Ružomberok.

Other Places

You can access other place pages via Ružomberok, Stankovany, Hubová, Valaská Dubová, Kalameny, Lisková, Liptovske Revuce and Liptovska Osada.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Ružomberok.