BOJNICE, Slovakia – Bojnice Castle 21st June

We could say “from one fairytale to another” about the following exhibition of paintings of Karel Gott, when the exhibition moves from Duchcov Castle to the beautiful historical castle in Slovakian Bojnice. The exhibition starts on 21st June 2011 and will be held until 10th July 2011. We are also preparing a festive vernissage which will take place on the 4th July 2011, we will bring you a reportage from this event. A part of the exhibition will be also newly reproduced works of art and we are also preparing a surprise in the form of unique 3D show and even moving reproductions! If you make a trip to Slovakia in the summer months, you should not miss this beautiful historical jewel, which the town of Bojnice surely is and where you also can find a lot of activities and adventures for your children!

Bojnice belongs to locations with the oldest Palaeolithic settlement in Slovakia. According to the nowadays knowledge, the first people settled in the town already in the Reichwürmischer time of the middle ice age (about 100 000 years ago) on the location of the nowadays castle.

The history of the town is joined together with the Bojnice castle. Already in the first written mentions about Bojnice, in the Zobor abbacy document from 1113, the castle courtyard of Bojnice is mentioned "de suburbanis Baimoz ...", thus the castle became the oldest confirmed sight of Bojnice. The fortified castle walls stood there already in 1113 and the first mentions about the stone castle come from 1302. The castle was also a centre of the religious life, because manses were grounded on royal castles after the stabilization of religion authorities. In the document of Zobor from 1113 the first mentions about a manse can be found, but the church is mentioned first in 1244. In the same document, there are also mentions about spa springs. Military conflicts in the 16th and 17th century brought a lot of suffering to the inhabitants of Bojnice. The threat of Turkish danger and corporative wars made necessary the fortification of the town by town walls, the town received a better protection. The fortification works in Bojnice began under the dominance of Turzov and continued under Palfiov, who exchanged the former wooden stockades in 1663 against stone fortification.

In the periods of economy progress, the agriculture grew stronger and there was also an important rise of the handcraft production and rise of business. Their revival happened in 17th century, where the main postal and business roads lead through the region of upper Nitra from Vienna to Krakow and up to Transylvania. Bojnice was from 1613 to 1823 one of the post stations. Business men from Vienna, Moravia and Silesia came to the markets with salt, iron and precious metals. Also the market with saffron has a good rumor. On the request of Pavel Palfi, the emperor Ferdinand III, confirmed in 1647 new privileges and orders of Bojnice. In the winter months, beer brewing belonged to the main sources of the town. But the rights of using of the forests were restricted.

With the growth of economy in the town, craft system was organized in the town. The first craft was created by shoemakers in 1653. There were also other craftsmen in the town – such as bricklayers, shoemakers, tailors, weavers, painters, furriers, coopers and other. By the handcraft development, Bojnice soon belonged to the leading towns of the Nitra region, lead by the voted reeve and 12 senators. In the city council there was a stable notary. The town had a catchpole, on the square there was a pillory, a bail dock and a town jail.

Bojnice remained the economical, administrative and military centre of upper Nitra with the region authority seat until 1872.

In the new-age history, Bojnice received the town status in 1966, its position as an important centre of Slovakia considering spa and tourism is supported not only by natural beauties and interesting sights, but also by a zoo and a lot of cultural, sport and tourist activities.