Smolenice is located at the foot of the eastern part of the Little Carpathians, northwest of Trnava. It is known mainly thanks to its castle, which belongs to the most beautiful, romantic, buildings in Slovakia. Smolenice Castle dominates the picturesque Little Carpathians surroundings. It stands on a low hill above the Smolenice village and is connected with it by the blue and yellow marked hiking trail. It is surrounded by a beautiful park, which completes the distinctive fairy-tale-like charm. The nearby English landscape park highlights the romantic appearance of the castle and emerges into the thick Little Carpathians forest. The park with an area of 46.5 hectares and a slightly hilly terrain is an integral part of the castle and creates a stunning historical setting. On the contrary of other castle’s parks, this one is freely accessible and it has never been fenced. The park already existed in a simple form in the 17th century, but when the Palffy family bought the castle in 1864, it was improved by turning some of the surrounding forest into a park. The owner, Móric Palffy, decided to settle in Smolenice and build a new castle as a family residence on the old ruins. The construction works continued until 1914, but it stopped after the outbreak of World War I. The castle remained unfinished and under construction during World War II, until 1945, when the Czechoslovak Republic became the new owner of the castle. It was then finished and the park was extended converting part of the nearby forest. Since there has never been a planting project, different exotic plants were just gradually planted next to the original vegetation. In the current park there is a small stream that leads to an artificial lake built in 1906. The stream has no permanent inflows and depends mainly on the richness of the source and the rainfall. A winding road flanked by old lindens leads from the church in the village to the castle park. The route to the castle is also one of the access routes to the Little Carpathians forest and to their highest peak - Záruby (767 m). Smolenice Park is an ideal place for walks and relaxation in a quiet environment, for a family picnic or for romantic walks. For its fairy-tale charm it is frequently used by film makers. In 2004, the castle entry courtyard was adjusted and beds of roses were planted there.
 

 

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