Discover Bijacovce: Castle, Churches and Park

In Bijacovce, the castle, park, churches, chapel, and hunting and forestry museum represent a range of cultural and historical themes. The buildings’ histories span everything from Romanesque origins to the late Baroque Csáky Castle; they also include medieval paintings, a sundial, and evidence of the town’s history. If you are interested in architecture and history, you can clearly distinguish the different construction phases and their distinctive features.

Csáky Castle and Park

Csáky Castle in Bijacovce is a two-storey late Baroque building constructed between 1780 and 1785. A complex of agricultural buildings and a park adjoin the castle. Thus, the complex includes not only the castle’s architectural history but also its farm buildings and park. The castle is now home to the Bijacovce Secondary Vocational School, which trains specialists to work in forestry. If you are considering a visit, check local access arrangements in advance.

Bijacovce Park is protected as a national cultural monument. It is home to three pedunculate oaks. They are 16 to 22 metres tall, have a trunk circumference of 313 to 343 centimetres and a crown spread of 18 to 19 metres; they are more than 250 years old. These figures refer to three different measurements: height, trunk circumference, and crown spread. Future surveys may record slightly different measurements.

Church of All Saints: Architectural History and Art

The Church of All Saints was originally a Romanesque church dating from before 1260 and was later remodelled in the Gothic style. It contains a fragment of a mural cycle depicting the legend of Saint Ladislaus, dating from the second half of the 14th century. Figures of the Apostles and Christ are also depicted on the north side of the presbytery. The sundial on the church is a different kind of detail: it is complete, vertical, and square, with broken corners. Its condition may change over time.

The church is in good condition and continues to serve its religious purpose. Access for services may vary. If you are planning a visit, check local arrangements in advance.

Rotunda and Baroque Remodelling

The Chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian stands on a rise at the northeastern edge of the town, at its end. It was originally a Romanesque rubble-stone rotunda dating from the second half of the 13th century and was remodelled in the Baroque style between 1740 and 1757. Its architectural history can be compared with that of the Church of All Saints: the church’s Romanesque origins were followed by Gothic remodelling, while the chapel’s later Baroque remodelling was another significant stage.

The chapel is in good condition and continues to serve its purpose. Check local visiting arrangements in advance. This will help you keep the town’s architectural history in mind while allowing for the fact that visiting arrangements need to be checked separately for each site.

Museum and Local History

The Hunting and Forestry Museum displays trophies and historical objects, as well as information about wildlife and hunters. It explores the traditions of hunting, forestry, and nature conservation. Alongside the buildings, it offers a distinct thematic focus on forests, wildlife, and human use of natural resources. Check the museum’s opening arrangements again before your trip.

The town’s history also dates back to the 13th century: Bijacovce was first mentioned in written sources in the middle of the century as terra Beth and was then part of Spiš Castle. This historical context relates to the town; the construction dates and remodelling phases, by contrast, relate to individual buildings. Thus, Bijacovce’s early mention and the separate histories of the castle, church, and chapel can be understood as distinct chronological reference points.

Discover more destinations: Dravce, Korytné, Spišské Podhradie, Levoča, Granč-Petrovce.

Go to the regional travel overview: Levoča District.