Via Pálffy - Bratislava

A journey through the lands of
the noble lords, who shaped the
County of Bratislava for centuries
Via Pálffy
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Malacky
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Marchegg
Borinka
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Bratislava
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What battle plans and intrigues were forged
behind the walls of majestic castles? Who asked
God for help in the silence and twilight of the
churches? What happened in the romantic salons
of manor houses? What did the unrivalled rulers
of the region fear and what entertained them?
And how did the noble lords, who shaped our
history for centuries, live?
www.viapalffy.sk
Svä
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Plavecké podhradie
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Smolenice
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Hrad Červený kameň
Častá
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Modra
ätý Jur
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Pezinok
Budmerice
Kráľová pri Senci
Unusual wanderings through the country
and the centuries
The unique and enchanting tourist
route, the Via Pálffy is here for all,
who want to get to know history
by their own experience. It follows
in the footsteps of the aristocratic
family that ruled the surroundings of Bratislava from the end of
the 16th century. It directs your
attention to the most important
milestones of the distant and not
so distant past.
Set out with us on trips to
monumental castles, mansions
and manor houses. Discover
half-forgotten stories of yeomen,
counts and princes, get to know
the places where bloody battles,
glorious victories and crushing
defeats happened. Walk through
courtyards, where lords of castles
celebrated, but also sat in judgement, punished and executed. And
when, full of experiences, you decide to stop and refresh yourselves,
taste the culinary specialities of the
fertile region and selected Small
Carpathians wines, such as were
formerly offered only in the best
circles...
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Bratislava Castle
Perhaps the most famous building in Slovakia
As hereditary sheriffs of the County of Bratislava and captains of
Bratislava Castle, the Pálffys joined
their name with it for centuries.
There were important modern
reconstructions of the castle in the
mid 17th century during the life of
the Palatine Paul Pálffy and later
during the reign of Maria Theresia.
The aim was to adapt the castle
to the residential standards of the
ruling family.
The last glorious period of the castle was the time when the daughter of Maria Theresa – Archduchess
Maria Christina and her husband
Prince Albert of Saxe-Teschen lived
in Bratislava. During this period,
Albert’s collection of European
artistic prints, which later formed
the basis of the Vienna Albertina,
was kept in the castle. The fate of
the castle came in May 1811, when
it was used as barracks. A great
fire reduced it to ruins. It remained
in this form until the second half
of the 20th century. Today, after an
extensive reconstruction, Bratislava
Castle contains the Historical
Museum of the Slovak National
Museum.
www.snm.sk
2 The Pálffy family
Crypt in St. Martin’s
Cathedral
The location of the splendid
coronations of kings and
queens
Burial of members of the family
in the most important Bratislava
church was not only a matter of
prestige, but also a reflection of
the social position of the Pálffys
in the Kingdom of Hungary. The
first famous member of the family,
Nicholas Pálffy, known as the hero
www.viapalffy.sk
of Győr (Raab), is also buried here.
Apart from its connection with
the Pálffys, this originally Gothic
church was also the scene of the
coronations of the Habsburgs as
kings of Hungary.
From 1563 to 1830, 11 kings in-
cluding one queen regnant – Maria
Theresa, and eight queen consorts
were crowned here in great glory.
These events also place the cathedral among the most important in
Slovakia.
www.dom.fara.sk
3 Palace of the Palatine Paul Pálffy
in Podhradie (remnant)
Formerly one of the most
important Early Baroque buildings in Central Europe
Count Paul Pálffy (1592 – 1653),
one of the most influential Hungarian aristocrats of the first half
of the 17th century, had the palace
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built. The main attraction of the
garden was the so called Pálffy
lime tree, which was surrounded by a system of terraces and
arbours, where Paul Pálffy spend
many hours with his guests.
The Pálffy Palace on Ventúrska Street
This five winged Rococo building
with two courtyards is also connected with the family. It is one
of the largest palace buildings in
Bratislava. The Pálffys moved into
it in 1745, when Count Leopold
Pálffy (1716 – 1773) bought it.
He was a general in the imperial
army and founder of the Stupava
line of the family. The richly
decorated portal, which bears
not only the usual coat of arms,
but also many military trophies,
also points to the exceptional
personality of the first owner
from the Pálffy family.
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The Pálffy Palace on Panská Street
A palace as a gallery
The palace belonged to the Pezinok branch of the family. The last
member of this branch was the famous collector of antiques, patron
of the arts, and on his death one
of the richest noblemen in Europe:
John Francis Pálffy (1829 – 1908).
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He had this extensive palace reconstructed in the late Neo-Classical
style in the second half of the 19th
century. Today it contains the Gallery of the City of Bratislava.
www.gmb.sk
The Palace of John Francis Pálffy
on Hviezdoslav Square
A palace where art lives
John Francis Pálffy had it built in
1885 as one of the most modern
palaces in Central Europe. The
building of a really impressive and
grandly equipped palace with a
balcony over its entrance portal,
which has sculpture of atlantes,
and the Pálffy coat of arms in the
middle of the facade, reflects the
wealth of its builder.
After the Second World War, the
palace became the property of the
Academy of Fine Arts, which still
uses it. The academy’s exhibition
space – the Medium Gallery is
situated in it.
The Pálffys were originally yeomen, but by
gaining the favour of the Habsburgs they became
barons and from around 1600 counts. In the 19th
century two branches of the family obtained the
right to use the title prince.
www.viapalffy.sk
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Devín Castle
A castle blown up by Napoleon
Devín was an important Slavonic
hillfort, and a frontier castle in the
time of the Kingdom of Hungary.
It had various owners. The Pálffys
obtained it in 1635, but since it
was only one of many lordships in
the possession of the family, they
never used it as a more permanent
seat. The last chapter in the history
of the castle was written in 1809
during fighting between the Austrians and Napoleon’s army. After
hard fighting, they concluded a
ceasefire, but that did not stop the
French mining the castle and blowing it up. It was left in ruins and
thanks to its romantic position it
became a theme for many artists.
From the time of the Slovak national movement in the 19th century
and after Štúr’s visits to the castle
ruins, Devín became a symbol of
ancient Slavonic glory because of
its Great Moravian tradition. Today
it contains an exhibition of the
Museum of the City of Bratislava.
www.muzeum.bratislava.sk
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Svätý Jur Manor House
From the Counts of Svätý Jur to
the Pálffys
The original administrative centre
of the Lordship of Svätý Jur was
Biely Kameň Castle, the origins of
which go back to the 13th century.
Around 1600, the Palatine Stephen
Illésházy had a manor house built
in the town. His wife was Catherine Pálffy and with her it came
into the hands of the Pálffys.
Since Svätý Jur was only one of
many Pálffy seats, they did not
www.viapalffy.sk
use it as a permanent seat of the
family. Later, when the manor
house became the property of
John Francis Pálffy, he had a
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The ruins of Biely Kameň
We also recommend a visit to the
ruins of Biely Kameň (White Stone)
Castle, which was destroyed in
1663 after a Turkish siege and nev-
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romantic reconstruction done, and
this gave the building its present
appearance.
er reconstructed. You can reach
the castle in about 15 minutes
from Svätý Jur – Neštich, a part of
the town.
Pezinok Castle
A castle with wine cellars
The originally medieval castle defended by two water-filled moats
has undergone various reconstructions, but it retained the character
of a moated castle until today.
Its north wing was damaged by
fire in 1875 and this may have
inspired John Francis Pálffy, the last
aristocratic owner, to undertake a
historicizing reconstruction of the
castle in the last quarter of the 19th
century.
Today the cellars of the castle
contain the National Wine Salon,
where 100 of the best Slovak
wines can be tasted throughout
the year. The adjoining English-style park with a multitude
of beautiful trees and ponds is
accessible to the public throughout
the year.
www.nsvsr.sk
The unique and enchanting Via Pálffy tourist
route is here for all those, who want to experience
history for themselves.
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Budmerice Manor House
The most romantic manor
house in the Bratislava district
The manor house was built in the
spirit of the romantic ideals of the
second half of the 19th century
according to plans by the Viennese
architect Franz Neumann in 1889.
Count John Pálffy had it built for
himself and his wife in the year in
which he married the 16 year old
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Countess Elizabeth Schlippenbach.
The noble couple is still commemorated by the coat of arms above
the main entrance.
The manor house is closed to the
public today. It is being prepared
for a new use. The extensive and
valuable English-style park is open
the whole year.
Červený Kameň Castle
The family castle of the Pálffys
For more than 350 years, Červený
Kameň (Red Stone) Castle was the
main family seat of the Pálffys. In
the 16th century, it was acquired by
the young Nicholas Pálffy, an an-
www.viapalffy.sk
ti-Turkish fighter and supporter of
the Habsburgs, partly by purchase
and partly as the dowry of his
bride Maria Magdalena Fugger.
The castle is Renaissance in character, but it was reconstructed in the
Baroque period. It contains one of
Slovakia’s most visited museums,
which presents the living conditions of the aristocracy. The castle
has the largest castle cellars in
Central Europe, a fortification system with four bastions and case-
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mates, an English-style park with
a family mausoleum and Calvary.
Apart from this, the falconry court
is based here and many exhibitions
and other events are organized.
www.hradcervenykamen.sk
Smolenice Castle
A romantic castle reconstructed on medieval ruins
Under the leadership of Joseph
Pálffy, architects created an effective eclectic building with a romantic atmosphere. The First World
War thwarted Joseph’s plans, by
putting a stop to building. Joseph’s
early death in 1920 and the economic crisis meant that the castle
was never completed according to
the original plan. The building was
finished in its present form by the
Czechoslovak state after the Second World War. The interior of the
castle is accessible only in summer.
The extensive English-style wooded park is accessible to the public
through the whole year.
www.kcsmolenice.sav.sk
14 The Manor House at Kráľová pri Senci,
at present only the Church of St. John the Baptist
Only the chapel remains from the manor house
The Church of St. John the Baptist
was originally the chapel of the
Pálffys and formed the south wing
of the manor house. The sculpture
workshop of Ľudovít Gode and Rafael Donner worked on the interior
of the Baroque church. After the
gradual demolition of the manor
house in the period 1942 – 1944,
the church remained isolated and
was declared a national cultural
monument. The unique Secession
style bridge from 1904 in the
village is a work of Italian masters.
There is also the unique Museum
of Bee Keeping in Slovakia, which
exhibits a unique collection of
beehives and bee-keeping equipment from various periods in the
development of bee-keeping.
www.vcelarskapaseka.sk
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Plavecký Castle
A picturesque castle in the
Small Carpathians
It is situated in the village of
Plavecké Podhradie. The Pálffys
were connected with it from 1641.
They assigned to it a mainly defensive function. Plavecký Castle was
besieged and seriously damaged at
the beginning of the 18th century
during the last Estates uprising.
By this time, it was no longer necessary and so the Pálffys did not
invest in restoring it. It has been in
ruins since then. We recommend
a walk with a beautiful view of
the surroundings from the village
of Plavecké Podhradie. The path
is marked in blue and takes 30
minutes.
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The village also has a manor house, now used by the State Archives.
It is possible to look inside only on working days, when the staff of the
archives allow visits to the reconstructed chapel and research rooms.
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Pajštún Castle
The most beautiful ruined castle in the Bratislava district
It is situated above the village of
Borinka. The originally medieval
castle came to be connected with
the Pálffys from the end of the 16th
centuries. In spite of its location
near Bratislava, its earlier history is
still covered in mystery. The quality
and grandeur of the Renaissance
reconstruction by the hero of Győr
(Raab) Nicholas Pálffy, still to be
seen in the six powerful consols
ending in mascaroons with smiling
faces. They were part of the originally arcaded entrance. They still
stun the visitor with their artistic
www.viapalffy.sk
quality. The castle was destroyed
by Napoleon’s army in 1809 and
left in ruins. We recommend a
trip to this place. It takes about 45
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Stupava Manor House
The manor house in Stupava is
another of the residences associated with the name of Count Paul
Pálffy. In spite of the fact that it
has been reconstructed several
times since his death, it still has
the appearance impressed on it by
the Mannerist reconstruction in
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minutes to walk slowly up the path
from the bus stop to the castle
ruins.
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the 17th century. The manor house
has the largest English-style park
in western Slovakia with a system
of fish ponds, where it is possible
to buy or catch fresh fish. The park
contains a unique dogs’ cemetery,
created by the last owner, Countess Károlyi for her beloved dogs.
Malacky Manor House and Monastery
The Palatine left his heart in
Malacky
The history of Malacky is inseparably connected with the activities
of the Pálffys. They came here in
1632, when the future Palatine of
Hungary Paul Pálffy took over the
lordship and later built an impressive Baroque manor house with
an extensive landscape park.
Today it is accessible together with
the Pálffy room and park.
The establishment of the Franciscan Monastery in Malacky is
connected with the name of Paul
Pálffy. It was part of his re-Catholicization efforts. A monastery complex was built with a burial crypt
under the church. Many members
of the family successively found
their final resting place in it. Paul
Pálffy is buried in the family crypt
in Bratislava, but in accordance
with his will, his heart was placed
in a silver box and buried in the
family burial place he had built in
Malacky.
The Pálffys were one of the most important aristocratic families in the Habsburg Monarchy.
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www.viapalffy.sk
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Marchegg Manor House
The Pálffys in Austria
The most important Pálffy residence in Austria was the manor
house at Marchegg. The Pálffys of
Malacky lived mainly in the manor
house at Malacky, and stayed in
Marchegg only sporadically in
summer or during the hunting
season. The situation changed
only in 1918. After the origin
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of the Czechoslovak Republic,
Prince Nicholas Pálffy and his wife
Margaret Zichy had to escape from
Malacky under the pressure of
events. Thus, Marchegg became
the new permanent seat of the
Malacky Pálffys. The building contains a museum concerned with
the princely branch of the Pálffys.
Bojnice Castle
The most romantic castle in
Slovakia
The Lordship of Bojnice was also a
traditional part of the Pálffy properties. From the first half of the
18th century, Bojnice served as one
of the seats of the junior branch
named after Pezinok. Its last male
heir was Count John Francis Pálffy.
He was the initiator of the recon-
struction of the original medieval
and early Baroque castle in the
romantic spirit. However, he did
not live to see the reconstruction
completed. Today, the castle contains the Bojnice Museum, a part
of the Slovak National Museum.
www.snm.sk
www.bojnice.eu
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Our four suggested trips
Via Pálffy – tour of Bratislava
Go on a tour of the Pálffys’
Bratislava and get to know the
glorious past of the coronation
city and the dynamic present of
the capital of Slovakia.
• Visit Bratislava Castle with its
beautiful view of the city.
• Get to know the historic centre
by walking around the four
Pálffy palaces: the Renaissance
palace of the Palatine Paul Pálffy
below the castle on Zámocká
Street, the Pálffy Palace on Panská Street, which contains the
Gallery of the City of Bratislava,
the Pálffy Palace on Ventúrska
Street and the Palace of John
Francis Pálffy on Hviezdoslav
Square.
• The Pálffy family crypt in St.
Martin’s Cathedral is not
accessible, but visit the cathedral,
which breathes the story of 19
coronations.
• At the end of the tour of Bratislava, you can visit Devín Castle,
a picturesque ruined castle on a
beautiful site above the confluence of the rivers Danube and
Morava.
After the tour we recommend
wine tasting in the National Wine
Salon (Národný salón vín – www.
nsvsr.sk, tel.:+421 2 5910 08 54)
or in the stylish Moods Vinotheque
(www.moods.sk, tel.:+421 905
551 616) and regional gastronomy
in the City Brewery (Meštiansky
pivovar – www.mestianskypivo­
var.sk, tel.:+421 944 512 265).
Or taste a cup of coffee and the
atmosphere of the centre in one of
the stylish Štúr cafés – on Štúrova,
Panská, Obchodná Street, Cubicon.
(www.facebook.com/cafestur, tel.:
+421 948 276 777)
Time: about 4 hours
Via Pálffy – the Small Carpathians mountains
Look directly into the soul of
the Small Carpathians tour
wine producing region; into
a soul full of the history of
the noble Pálffy family, of the
regional traditions of local
people and the spark of fresh
light wine.
•V
isit the small wine producing
town of Modra and the family
pottery workshop with the
story of how the Pálffys invited
the Hutterites to the Small Carpathians region.
• Get to know Červený Kameň
(Red Stone) Castle, a former residence of the Pálffys. Experience
one of the most beautiful castles
in Slovakia with the largest wine
cellars in Central Europe.
www.viapalffy.sk
• T aste the fresh Small Carpathians wines in Pezinok, in the
Small Carpathians Museum with
the story of the Pálffys’ wine production, or in the National Wine
Salon in the castle cellar.
We advise you to stop in one of
the stylish restaurants and try
the regional gastronomy, for example, the wine restaurant Pavúk on
the main square of Modra – www.
pavukrestaurant.sk, tel.: +421
33 640 57 08) or taste the wine
produced in 2011 and 2012 at the
Karpatská perla viewing tower –
www.karpatskaperla.sk, tel.: +421
917 926 266) beautifully situated
in nearby Šenkvice.
Time: about 6 hours
Via Pálffy – southern Záhorie and the
Morava plain (Moravské pole – Marchfeld)
A tour divided between Slovakia and Austria will show you
that Central European history is
thoroughly interwoven.
• The first stop is Stupava with
an originally Renaissance manor
house and park. Unfortunately,
the beautiful manor house is
not open to the public, but we
recommend a visit to the fish
ponds at the end of the park,
and a meal of roast or smoked
trout. The small town of Stupava
is well-known for its lively activity
and the sale of seasonal products, especially cabbage.
• We further recommend a stop
in Malacky, formerly the seat
of another branch of the family.
You will find here the Early
Baroque manor house of the Palatine Paul Pálffy and the Baroque
Franciscan monastery with a
Pálffy family grave.
• Marchegg in Austria, where the
princely branch of the Pálffys
from Malacky lived after 1918,
can be reached by ferry from
Záhorská Ves. There is a regional
museum here, devoted to the
Pálffys and to King Otakar Přemysl of Bohemia.
• On the way back to Bratislava,
stop at Schlosshof, an impressive summer residence of Maria
Theresa, where you can taste
specialities of Central European
cooking in the restaurant.
If you go on a bicycle, you can
return across the new cyclists’ Sloboda (Freedom) Bridge at Devínska
Nová Ves.
Time: about 6 hours
Via Pálffy – An active pilgrimage
Slovakia is notable for its great
number of ruined castles,
which form the destinations of
numerous tourist visits. Get to
know two ruins with your own
feet and then visit the oldest
place of pilgrimage in Slovakia.
• Pajštún Castle
A slow walk from the bus stop in
Borinka to the romantic castle ruins
takes about 45 minutes.
• Plavecký Castle
It takes about 30 minutes to walk
there from the village of Plavecké
Podhradie on the path marked in
blue. The village also has a Renaissance manor house. It is possible
to go inside only on working days,
when the archive staff allow visits
to the reconstructed chapel and
research rooms.
• Marianka
A peaceful pilgrimage valley
surrounded by legends and visited
by kings. The monastery is the
oldest place of pilgrimage in
Slovakia. Wander between the
sacred buildings of this exceptional
spiritual place in beautiful natural
surroundings.
After a demanding day, you
can rest in the stylish Príroda (Nature) Biofarm – www.biofarma.sk,
tel.: +421 918 280 546) between
Stupava and Lozorno with a choice
of typical Slovak foods or enjoy
regional specialities in the Pútnický
mlyn (Pilgrims’ Mill) restaurant at
Mariánka – www.putnickymlyn.sk,
+421 2 6593 4386).
Time: about 6 hours
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www.viapalffy.sk
Worked out by: OZ COMITATUS
Project manager:
Ing. Roman Zelenay, Mgr. Maroš Mačuha, PhD.
Photography: Lucia Mandincová, Martin Cintula, Philip Darázs,
Šymon Kliman, Bedrich Schreiber
Texts: Roman Zelenay, Maroš Mačuha, Daniel Hupko, Jana Škutková
Map: Mgr. art Radko Mačuha
Design: sowa | brandstudio
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www.viapalffy.sk
facebook: Cesta krajom vznešených pánov
(Journey through a land of noble lords)
General partner
Turistické informačné centrum
(Tourist Information Centre)
Klobučnícka 2, Bratislava
Tel.: +421 2 16186
Mail: [email protected]
www.visitbratislava.eu
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