Čachtice Castle

Čachtice Castle stands in ruins above the village of Čachtice in western Slovakia, in the foothills of the Little Carpathians. It was built in the thirteenth century and changed hands several times before becoming the property of the Báthory family.

Elizabeth Báthory

Elizabeth Báthory married Ferenc Nádasdy in 1575 and moved into the castle. After Nádasdy’s death in 1604, complaints began reaching the Hungarian court. Servants and local families accused Báthory of torturing and killing young women, many of them daughters of lesser nobles sent to the castle for education.

In December 1610, Palatine György Thurzó raided the castle. According to trial testimony, the investigators found dead and dying girls inside. Báthory was never formally tried, likely because of her family’s political standing. Instead, Thurzó had her walled into a set of rooms in the castle on December 31, 1610.

The Numbers

The trial records collected testimony from over 300 witnesses. One witness claimed to have seen a list in Báthory’s handwriting with 650 names. Historians dispute the number. Some argue the accusations were politically motivated, a way for the crown to seize Báthory’s considerable estates without the scandal of a public trial. Others point out that the testimony, even allowing for exaggeration, is too consistent across too many witnesses to dismiss entirely.

The Castle Today

Báthory died behind the sealed walls on August 21, 1614. The castle fell into disrepair over the following centuries. The ruins are open to visitors. The village below maintains a small museum dedicated to the case.