The ruins of the Sivý kameň Castle are located on an andesite cliff above the village of Podhradie near Prievidza. Although relatively little of the castle has survived to this day, the castle cliff provides a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape.
The remains of the castle from the mid-14th century are visible directly from the village. A short climb from the village center will soon take you to a dirt road. Here, a sign with the inscription Sivý Kameň will alert you to the right direction. The entire climb to the castle takes approximately 15 minutes.
Nowadays, when visiting the castle, we can observe its small remains, which at least indicate its size and the remains of the masonry. From the inner Gothic castle, the perimeter walls of the prismatic tower have been preserved.
The Sivý Kameň Castle was built shortly before 1350 as a royal castle. The construction of the castle was necessitated by the circumstances that arose after the death of Matúš Čák in 1321. Since there was no other castle in the vicinity besides Bojnice Castle, the need arose to build another administrative center.
Later the castle belonged to different families. In 1430 both castles reverted to the crown. In 1431 the king donated the castle of Sivý Kameň to Gregor Majthényi and his heirs. Since then the castle and the estate have remained in permanent possession of the Majthényi family.
The castle began to decline in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In 1626, Gabriel Bethlen’s rebels attacked the castle and other Majthényi properties and thoroughly plundered them.
The first decade of the 18th century brought further attacks on the castle, this time by Rákoczi’s soldiers. Soon the important estate became a ruin. The remains of the castle were subsequently dismantled by the inhabitants of Podhradie.
Končitá
From the cottage below Končita, in Gebňárova Valley, which we can reach from the village of Kamenec pod Vtáčnikom, an unmarked trail leads to the peak cliffs of Končita.
Behind the stream rise the rock formations of Končita, to which a well-trodden path leads. Končita was declared a Natural Monument in 1973.
In the vicinity there are smaller and larger rockeries covered with deep green moss. The Končitaj cliffs are dominated by a 30-meter-high andesite tower. From Končita, following the ridge to the left, we come to the Devil’s Paths. There are huge boulders also covered with green moss, rocky cliffs, windows and narrow gorges.
