Horná Nitra is one of the popular tourist locations. It offers beautiful mountains, a mysterious mining underground, but above all the most romantic castle in Slovakia. It surrounds the nature and landscape park, which was supposed to be turned into a botanical garden decades ago. Today, this place is perfect for relaxing and gaining positive energy.

The last noble owner of Bojnické Castle was Count Ján Pálfi. It was he who took care of the romantic reconstruction of its walls and chambers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In his plans, he also counted on the improvement of the wider surroundings. "He conceived the park as an English one, which gradually freely passes into the forest-steppe of the foothills of the Magura spurs with forests and groves. In the maintained part there were sidewalks and scattered small architecture, which we can still admire here in some places. It is, for example, a quasi-ruin of a Gothic gate," says historian and archivist Erik Kližan. The park was larger during the Pálfi era than it is today. It also encroached on the territory where the zoo is located today. It included not only alleys, but also, for example, a production orchard with fruit trees and a currant plantation.

The 1950s represent an important moment in the modern history of the park. At that time, Bojnický Castle became the seat of the Regional Museum of Local History. Its natural history department had a zoological component, which later developed into a zoo, and a botanical component. "At that time, there was an intention to build a botanical garden here. Several foreign trees were planted near the castle, which we did not have at the time," continues Kližan. This is also how a specimen of the metasequoia, which was originally thought to be extinct, got here. The plans for building a botanical garden were big, including a rock garden with annuals and a section of medicinal plants. In the end, the bold plan was only partially realized. Although the botanical garden itself was not created, several rare exotic trees became part of the park. Today it is a protected area that is part of the national cultural monument - Bojnické Castle. The complex area offers sitting on benches, romantic corners by water bodies and space for relaxation.

Legendary gardener

Professionals who take care of them with love are an integral part of beautiful parks. In the case of Bojnice, it is the now legendary personality of Viliam Šimek. He worked on the castle estate for more than 40 years and made sure that we can admire several exotic trees here today. Viliam Šimko literally had gardening in his blood. His father had already taken care of greenery, and he also chose the same direction. He studied in Vienna, later worked in several places within the monarchy, where he gained valuable experience in the field of botany. After he returned from the military front in 1918, he joined the service of the Pálfi family. He also worked at the castle during the era of the Bať family, as well as in the 1950s, when museum exhibitions were created here. "He lived in a garden house with greenhouses. Large palm trees were also stored in them. In the season, they were placed around the castle - in Bažantnica and in the spa. After the end of the season, they moved them back," explains historian Erik Kližan. At the same time, Šimko had a great influence on planting in the park during the period when it was to become a botanical garden. Thanks to him, various exotic trees can still be found here today - three double-lobed ginkgos, the popular Japanese sakura cherry or Nutkan cypress originally from North America.

The most famous linden tree in Slovakia

She amazed with her bushy crown centuries ago. Even today, this large-leaved linden specimen is one of the biggest attractions of Bojnice. The public also knows him under the nickname Lipa krága Matej. However, the expert points out that although this tree is surrounded by many legends, few of them are based on truth. One of the most famous legends says that the linden tree was planted by Matúš Čák in 1301, when Ondrej III, the last king from the Arpád family, died. According to historian and archivist Erik Kližan, however, there is no evidence that King Matej was behind its planting. "This tree has always made a big impression. For example, in one document from the 17th century, when Bočka's troops besieged Bočkai's troops, it is written about a memorial linden tree," he says. Today, there are several trees near it. Sufficient space, water, suitable subsoil and ideal location ensured that it was able to grow to respectable dimensions - its height is seven meters, the circumference of the trunk is approximately 11 meters. It is thus the most massive and at the same time the oldest linden tree in the region, as it is more than 700 years old. That's why it already required proper care in the past. A drawing of the park from the first half of the 19th century captures the wooden fence that surrounded it. "Originally, it was a fused three trunks - three trunks grew from one root. In addition, the tree already had a huge crown. So that the branches do not get tangled, they are connected with boards or supported with bricks," explains Kližan. The linden received a major professional intervention in 1953, when they got rid of damaged and rotting parts, as well as a number of pests. Since then, it has been regularly taken care of by a council of experts from the Borová hora Arboretum. The State Nature Conservancy declared it a protected tree in 1969.