Medzianky Castle in a strategic location.
Medzianky Castle rises at a height of 382 m. above sea level about 1 km northeast of the village of the same name on an elevated rocky outcrop. The first written record of Medzianky dates from 1248. During the period of feudalism, the village belonged to the dominion of Šariš Castle. In the past, the Medzianky Castle served as a protection of the surrounding land. Nowadays it offers tourists breathtaking views of the neighbouring castles Kapušany and Šariš, mountains Slanské vrchy and Hanušovce nad Topľou. Its strategic location was one of the reasons why the castle was an integral part of the local signal system. The castle guarded an important road from Zemplín to Šariš.
The castle was probably built by the Knights of the Order of Saint John, who built their monastery in nearby Hanušovce nad Topľou. The castle saw it most glorious days in the last third of the 13th century. Documents dating back to 1332 mention a new landowner and owner of the castle, Demeter of the Abov family. From the 15th century, reports of the castle are getting scarce. In the middle of the 15th century, the abandoned building was probably used by the troops under the command of Ján Talafúz, but the lack of space forced them to leave the castle in 1460 and build a fortress called “Zadná hura” above today’s Chmeľov. The demise of the castle was probably caused by internal political struggles. The location of the castle was strategically very advantageous. The lord of the castle could control the road below it leading to the west part of the Prešov Basin, as well as the main road leading through the valley of the river Topľa to Bardejov and further through the Carpathians to Poland. The visual connection with the nearby Kapušany and Šariš castles was crucial in case of danger (smoke or light signals could be made). This gave rise to speculations that the castle was integrated into the defense system of the medieval Austria-Hungarian. The excellent location of the castle made it a great military observatory at the end of the Second World War. The castle had a rectangular floor plan (36 x 13 – 15 m) and was surrounded by a wall 2 to 2.7 m thick. An integral part of the castle was a prismatic tower (8.5 x 8m). A 6 meters deep cistern was dug into the rock in the courtyard. The fortification system also included a rampart fortification and a moat. The castle is being renovated at present.
