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HLOHOVEC MANSION lies next to the Váh River, which cuts through the centre of the town. The mansion was built in medieval times and reconstructed by the aristocracy over the years into a comfortable residence. The last family who lived there was the Erdődys. After the Second World War, the Czechoslovak Republic became its owner and turned it into a centre for juvenile delinquents. The mansion is now in tremendous disrepair, especially the interior, which is completely destroyed.
Though the mansion is closed to the public, it is worth visiting for the areas around it, especially the park. On just a few acres, the park holds one hundred large sycamores, the oldest of which have been around for 150-170 years.
A building called the Empire Theatre is also near the castle. Built in 1802, it is the oldest theatre in existence in Slovakia. Even Ludwig van Beethoven made a brief stop there while on his way to visit Piešťany.
This photograph of Hlohovec Mansion bearing the town's old name, Frašták, might date back to before the First World War.
By Branislav Chovan
