Čachtice
Čachtice (pronounced [t͡ʃaxtʲɪt͡se], Template:Lang-hu) is a village in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in western Slovakia with a population of 3,630 (as of 2004).
The village is situated between the Danubian Lowland and the Little Carpathians. It is best known for the ruins of the nearby Čachtice Castle, home of Elizabeth Báthory who is alleged to be the world's most prolific female serial killer. The castle stands on a hill featuring rare plants, and the area was declared a national nature reserve (Čachtický hradný vrch) for this reason.
History
Prehistoric ettlements from the neolithic, eneolithic, Bronze age, Hallstatt period, La Tène period, Roman periods and the early Slavic period have been found here.
The first written reference to the village dates from 1263. Čachtice has received the status of a town in 1392, but it was later degraded back to a village. In 1847 the parsonage was the meeting place of the first Slovak national and cultural society Tatrín, at which the definitive decision to use the central Slovak dialects as the basis for the new standard of the codified Slovak language was adopted.
Castle
The scenic ruins are in a stunning position, with views on a clear day to the Czech Republic, across rolling hills far to the north-west. More importantly, the site is far enough above the villages it commands that in the pre-modern period it would have been easy to imagine any manner of 'weird stuff' going on up there.
Cachtice castle itself is a picturesque ruin, though entrance-ways, high walls and one tower - perhaps that in which Elizabeth was incarcerated - still stand. Low arches are still visible at ground level, suggesting buried cellars or dungeons. The site is unmanned and hence there is no entrance fee: most information boards are in Slovak, though suggestively daubed with bloody hand marks lest you miss the point. After reaching the castle from the village of Čachtice (where there is a local museum in the manor house, closed on Mondays), a walking trail continues to Višňové, another village visible from the castle: both places have small railway stations.
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Čachtice Castle
The castle was built in the 13th century in order to protect a trade route to Moravia. The most famous owner was the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who was convicted of numerous murders and nicknamed "The Bloody Lady". She was imprisoned in her own castle and died there in 1614. The castle was abandoned in 1708 and now lies in ruins.
External links
Media related to Čachtice at Wikimedia Commons
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