Covering a four-hectare area, Spiš Castle is one of the world’s largest castle complexes. Its magnitude served the purpose of a border fortress in the feudal Hungarian Kingdom. The castle later changed hands several times between empires and aristocratic families who used it as a mansion. It was owned by the Csák family and in decline when fire finally ruined the building in 1780, perhaps the result of a lightning strike.

Today, Spiš Castle is UNESCO-listed. Its expanse and geographic setting make it ideal for walking and photography. Conservationists began work several decades ago to protect the medieval building from the threat of unstable bedrock under the foundations. A 100m2 geoglyph (stone pattern in the landscape) of a horse from a Celtic coin design now stands imposingly on the hill below the silhouette of the castle.