Biely Kameň

About

Biely Kameň (literally White Stone in English) are the ruins of a Gothic castle located on a wooded hill above the town of Svätý Jur in the Pezinok district in the Bratislava region, Slovakia. The name Biely Kameň became commonplace in the 1980s. The castle is also known as Svätojurský hrad (St. George castle). Biely Kameň served as a fortified seat above Svätý Jur since the 13th century until 1663 when it was finally abandoned by its owners. The castle was likely established in response to and not long after Tatar raids in 1241-1242. Since 2002, the ruins are recognized as a national cultural monument but remain freely and publicly accessible. Most tourists visit the site from the nearby town of Svätý Jur.

History: Biely Kameň was built at some point before 1271 on a hill opposite an older local fort situated across the valley and served as the seat of the svätojurská (St. George) line of counts from Svätý Jur and Pezinok. The initiator of the construction was Count Abraham I. The hill chosen for construction was located about 1 km from Svätý Jur. The first written mention of the castle dates to 1271 when it was conquered by Ottokar II of Bohemia during his spring expedition to...