What to visit in Čachtice

• Visit of the Draskovich Mansion

Tittle of the exhibition : Elisabeth Bathory – Cruelty Hidden in Lace. The village of Čachtice is famous especially for sadly known “Bloody” Countess Elisabeth Báthory. The Castle and the village however, have  a colourful history rich in many important and interesting  events. The Exposure of the Trenčín Museum placed in the late renaissance mansion from the year  1668 of the Croatian ban Draskovich is dedicated to the history of Čachtice. The museum captures not only  historical events, but also brings  closer to visitors  rich cultural tradition and folk culture of the village.

Exposure of the Trenčín Museum is on the first floor of the building in the left wing and  presents a collection of historical weapons, historical documents, jewellery, a collection of portraits, items  found in historical and  archaeological research. The most attractive item is a copy of the dress of Elisabeth Bathory made later by hands according to her preserved  (most known) portrait.

Contacts:  +421 / 32 778 74 85

Opening hours:

from 1st may to  31st october
Monday: c l o s e d
Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00 – 16:30
Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00. hod
Last possible entry is at 16:00

from 1st November to 30th April 
Tuesday – Saturday: 8:30 – 16:00
Sunday – Monday: C l o s e d
Last possible entry is at 16:00.

Entrance fee, pemranent exhibition

• Underground of Čachtice

Mysterious  underground of Čachtice spreads  as the spider´s net under all village of Čachtice. From the original wine cellars inhabitants of Čachtice built  an extensive system of corridors with several floors for protection before Turkish attacks. Several weeks after a lost battle of the Hungarian king with the Turks at Mohács (29. 8. 1526) where also our king Luis II Jagelonsky died, Turkish armies started to plunder today´s Slovakia too. Čachtice inhabitants  did not have  another possibility to hide before Turkish plundering or slavery then to hide under the ground.  They did amazing work which affords appreciation. The underground consisted of the entrances which were easily reachable, connecting corridors  or front rooms, from which other corridors with crossings  and so called “fox holes” led. Through these small corridor could people only crawl or move stooped if they wanted to move to shelter part of corridors.  Narrow corridors were important for easy defence before chasers. One armed man can stop a whole military regiment  there.  The underground  was equipped also for  longer stay of people. Fruits  and wine  were stored there, fridges with food and ice and corn pits with wheat were there too. There was  a clever system of ventilation built also for lover floors of corridors and probably there was also a subsidiary corridor leading eg. into the safety of a wood. The underground protected people before the war events –  for the last time  during the World War II. Subsequently it was loosing its importance and  corridors were closed  with walls and filled  with the rubble and swooped down due to construction works on the surface.

As a miracle the underground under the former wine pressing room  belonging to the House of Nadasy and sadly known Elisabeth Bathory from 16th century has been preserved. The underground  was the part of their mansion, called Emperor´s mansion which had a garden. orchards  and a vineyard. Nobility  was hidden behind the castle walls but servants used cellars under the pressing room. Ttil our time  a Coate of Arms of the House of Nadasy with the duck and with ornamental portals and  signatures of curious visitors – some of them several hundred  years old were  preserved there together with the proof of  cleverness of ancient builders. After many  years of  work of enthusiasts  these corridors  are  again accessible for visitors now.  A visitor can move in  time and feel the dark atmosphere of fear for life  or to enjoy unique historical  architectonic work. It is interesting that works in the underground still continues and corridors leading into the unknown are sought.

To Čachtice Underground  a visitor can get from the square and from the Church visitors can follow new direction plates. We recommend visitors to go from the square by foot, since the entrance is in a narrow  blind street “Na Doline”. The lenght of the journey from the square to the entrance of Čachtice Underground is  300 meters  and it lasts about 7 minutes by foot.