Discover Fričovce: Castle, Churches and Trails

The Renaissance castle gives Fričovce an unusually vivid historic centrepiece. The building was constructed between 1623 and 1630: master builder Michal Sorger from Prešov erected it for the nobleman Valent Berthóty. The castle features preserved sgraffito decorations, which rank among the rarest of their kind in Slovakia. The castle is open to the public during guided tours, which cover its history, architecture and unique sgraffito decoration.

History and Culture

A special detail of the castle is its blind arcades. They were originally decorated with 150 mythological and historical figures. The depictions came from antiquity, the Middle Ages and the modern era. Thus, this site highlights not only the architectural history of the Renaissance castle, but also an unusually diverse visual world.

The historic village view also includes the Church of Saint Bartholomew. It was built in 1737 and 1738 on the site of a Gothic church from the 14th or 15th century that had previously stood there. Inside, it has an altar created by the master J. Kebling from Levoča in 1752. Beneath the church is a crypt considered to be the burial place of nobles from the Fričovce branch of the Berthóty family.

In front of the Church of Saint Bartholomew stands a burial chapel built in 1811. It is shaped like a small mausoleum and designed in the Empire style. A significantly more recent ecclesiastical landmark is the Roman Catholic Church of the Three Martyrs of Košice, built in 1993. North of Fričovce lies Hradisko, an archaeological site with finds from a Slavic hillfort dating from the early Middle Ages.

Trails and Landscape

Fričovce Castle includes a park of approximately 5 hectares. Ponds, water features, old trees and numerous natural nooks define this area. The natural nooks are suitable for walks and relaxation. The park complements the historic buildings with a spacious setting where the castle’s distinctive features and the local landscape can be experienced together in a single visit.

Fričovce is a starting point for access to the Kanné Valley. A marked hiking trail leads through the valley from Šindliar to the Branisko ridge. The trail therefore connects a specifically named valley area with the mountain-ridge route; Fričovce is also at the beginning of the access route to the valley. The higher parts of Fričovce offer beautiful panoramic views.

Geographical Setting

Fričovce is located along the route of the D1 motorway. According to the municipal assessment, this location contributes to good accessibility. Local attractions range from Renaissance architecture and ecclesiastical buildings to the archaeological site, the park and the trails in the Kanné Valley. When choosing a holiday apartment in Fričovce, this means that different focal points within the village and its trail connections can be considered side by side, without separating the historic and landscape impressions from one another.

More Destinations

Other places at this level: Veľký Šariš, Trnkov, Ľubotice, Hermanovce, Prešov, Kapušany.

To the higher-level travel overview: Prešov.