It is one of Slovakia's largest tourist attractions, drawing in more than 250 000 visitors each year. Built in the 12C, then rebuilt in the 16C, it combines Gothic and Renaissance parts. During the guided tour of the castle you get to contemplate the splendour and refinement of a bygone era, exemplified by period furniture and sumptuous works of art. At the foot of the castle, the country's oldest zoo, opened in 1955, houses some 270 species of animals, including African elephants, leopards and antelopes.