Nevitsky Castle – ruins of one of the oldest castles in Transcarpathia

Nevitsky Castle in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine is one of thousands of castles in Europe that is on the verge of destruction. It attracts tourists who want to see the remnants of former power and enjoy the magnificent views from it!

It is not far to get here from Uzhgorod, you can get here directly from the bus station in 10 – 15 minutes and then walk up to the castle itself through a wonderful forest. We were one of those who could not refuse during our Prague – Transcarpathian trip to visit this castle and now I will tell you how it was, as well as about the castle itself, its history, show photos and tell you how to get here on your own!

History of the castle

According to available information, this castle was built on the site of a wooden fortification in the 13th century. The exact date of construction is not known, but in 1241 it was attacked by the Mongol-Tatar hordes and destroyed.

In the second half of the 14th century the castle was rebuilt, at the same time the round donjon tower was replaced by a quadrangular one consisting of three tiers.

The castle was regularly improved, especially with the development of firearms, so it was constantly rebuilt and reshaped. It did not receive its final form until the 16th century.

The history of the castle as a fortification came to an end in 1644, when it was captured and destroyed by György Rakoczy, the governor of Transylvania.

Attempts to preserve or restore the castle were made in 1923 by the Czech authorities, and then in 1968 by the Soviet authorities. However, none of the works brought the castle to a decent appearance, but rather only delayed its complete destruction.

In 1879, “Wagner Park” was built nearby to house a naturally pressurized water fountain. It was in operation until recently, but is now demolished.

A sanatorium appeared nearby in Soviet times. It was the international youth camp Sputnik (later Verkhovyna). It was once the place of many Soviet schoolchildren, albeit not as famous as Artek.

Now the base has fallen into disrepair and has been destroyed, and a kind of hotel or sanatorium has been built in its place. Construction is underway, floors are being completed and so on. The children’s camp with residential houses was completely dismantled.

My impressions

When I went to the castle, I knew exactly where I was going. It was a ruin, so we didn’t expect much. Rather, we just wanted to touch the historical place before it finally disappears (which may happen in the next 50-70 years, or even sooner).

The first thing that catches your eye here is the nature. You can either walk to the castle along the asphalted road for cars, which leads to the sanatorium, or climb up the slopes. We chose the second option and did not regret it at all.

As we made our way along, we saw a small mountain stream, beautiful trees, so much rich greenery… In general, despite the fact that the climb is quite steep, we climbed up without feeling the slightest bit tired.

Nevitsky Castle itself is really on the verge. Despite the fact that, according to information, restoration works have been carried out here in our time (completed in 2015), there are no signs that anything has improved.

The emergency condition of this place is long gone. There are really only ruins left. However, if you are a fan of such places, it is quite interesting to climb them.

Many parts of the castle are overgrown with ragweed and other weeds. There is a lot of garbage everywhere. It is a pity that it is not dealt with.

The walls clearly show the former power of the castle. You can get some good photos here.

Climbing on the walls, from them you can enjoy a magical view of the surroundings. Not to mention that sitting on the walls you can have a wonderful picnic. Although, the view in Zaleschiki was more mesmerizing.

The tower is closed for access. During the Soviet era, a viewing platform was organized at its top, but since then it has not been maintained and is always collapsing.

Pieces of logs and planks can fall on the heads of visitors, and therefore the entrance is walled up and can only be climbed through a window located at a height of about 2.5 meters.

There is nothing interesting inside, so I don’t recommend repeating my climb inside. The view from the inside is not much different from the outside.

At the same time, the place has its own special energy. There are very few visitors here, you can just come for a picnic, even on a bicycle.

I can’t call it an important attraction, so I’ll say this: if you’ll be passing by by car or bicycle and you have some extra time – visit it. If you will be in Uzhgorod and have 4-5 hours free for traveling, climbing and sightseeing – you won’t regret it either, go to Nevitsky Castle!

How to get there

Nevitsky Castle is located in the Transcarpathian region, about 12 kilometers from Uzhgorod. You can get there either by public transportation or by car.

By car

The easiest way to get there from Uzhgorod by your own car is to take the highway N13 Lviv – Sambor – Uzhgorod in the direction of Nevitske village. After almost passing the village, turn right near the AVS “Arnika” store. On this road go straight through the river Uzh, and at the fork, near the hotel Camelot – to the right and into the mountains.

At the steep bend, keep to the asphalt road. This will take you to a sanatorium with wooden houses. Park your car there and walk about 100 meters further along the path. You can’t see the castle on this road, as the ruins will be hidden from you by the trees.

Castle coordinates for navigator: 48.680948, 22.409441.

The road condition is very bad, be prepared for this.

By public transportation

At the bus station in Uzhgorod buy a ticket for any bus via Nevitskoye. Be vigilant, the seats there are not marked and the principle of “who took first” applies.

Ask the driver to stop in front just after the railroad crossing. You can follow this yourself. You will drive through Nevitskoe and then cross the railway crossing, turning left at the fork.

Alternatively, you can get here by train to Nevitskoe Podzamok station.

Going back a few steps and crossing back over the road, you will see a suspension bridge over the river, which you need to cross and keep going straight ahead.

After passing the Camelot Hotel, you will have two ways: follow the road for a little more than 1.5 kilometers, or take a shortcut by taking the nearest and most convenient path to your right and climbing a steep slope among the trees. This is easy to do if you have comfortable shoes.

Tourist information

The entrance to the ruins is open and can be accessed around the clock. There is no entrance fee.

You should have enough water and food, as there is nowhere to buy it nearby. It is not superfluous to bring mosquito repellent in summer, as they are rampant here.

It takes 40 minutes to 1 hour to explore the ruins. You should be extremely careful, as the condition leaves much to be desired, and there are no insurances or fences.

The return trip can be made from the same place by stopping the bus or by hitchhiking.