Kežmarok Castle is the only fully preserved castle in the Spiš region of Slovakia. The first written record of the castle dates back to 1463.
The castle was built and initially owned by the brothers Imrich and Štefan Zápoľský. In 1528, ownership passed to the Lasky family, followed by Ján Rueber in 1571. Between 1579 and 1684, the castle belonged to four generations of the Thököly family. Its last private owner was Ferdinand Rueber, and in 1702, the town of Kežmarok purchased the castle.
The first attempts to restore the castle and establish a museum there emerged in the second half of the 19th century. However, these plans were not realised until the first half of the 20th century, with the first museum exhibitions opening in 1931.
Today, the castle houses a fascinating collection of historical exhibitions documenting the development of Kežmarok and its surrounding region.
Visitors can explore displays dedicated to prehistoric and medieval settlements, the town’s development from the 13th to the 19th century, the Kežmarok Shooting Association, the Spiš Association of Physicians and Pharmacists, and Dr. Vojtech Alexander, a pioneer of radiology in the former Kingdom of Hungary.
Other exhibitions focus on the history of Kežmarok during the 19th and 20th centuries, historical portraits from the museum's collections, the relationship between the town's residents and the High Tatras, the influential Thököly family, and the Jewish community of Kežmarok.
A tour of the castle complex also includes a visit to the castle chapel and observation tower, offering visitors a deeper insight into the region's rich history.