Čachtice

Čachtice
Village
Country Slovakia
Region Trenčín
District Nové Mesto nad Váhom
Elevation 203 m (666 ft)
Coordinates 48°43′00″N 17°47′00″E / 48.71667°N 17.78333°E / 48.71667; 17.78333Coordinates: 48°43′00″N 17°47′00″E / 48.71667°N 17.78333°E / 48.71667; 17.78333
Area 32.57 km2 (12.58 sq mi)
Population 4,010 (2014)
Density 123/km2 (319/sq mi)
First mentioned 1248
Postal code 916 21
Area code +421-32
Car plate NM
Location of Čachtice in Slovakia
Location of Čachtice in the Trenčín Region
Wikimedia Commons: Čachtice
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: www.cachtice.sk

Čachtice (pronounced [t͡ʃaxtʲɪt͡se], Hungarian: Csejte) is a village in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in western Slovakia with a population of 4,010 (as of 2014).

The village is situated between the Danubian Lowland and the Little Carpathians. It is best known for the ruins of the nearby Čachtice Castle, home of Elizabeth Báthory who is alleged to be the world's most prolific female serial killer. The castle stands on a hill featuring rare plants, and the area was declared a national nature reserve (Čachtický hradný vrch) for this reason.

History

Prehistoric settlements from the neolithic, eneolithic, Bronze age, Hallstatt period, La Tène period, Roman periods and the early Slavic period have been found here.

The first written reference to the village dates from 1263. Čachtice has received the status of a town in 1392, but it was later degraded back to a village. In 1847 the parsonage was the meeting place of the first Slovak national and cultural society Tatrín, at which the definitive decision to use the central Slovak dialects as the basis for the new standard of the codified Slovak language was adopted.

Castle

The castle was built in the 13th century in order to protect a trade route to Moravia. The most famous owner was the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who was convicted of numerous murders and nicknamed "The Bloody Lady". She was imprisoned in her own castle and died there in 1614. The castle was abandoned in 1708 and now lies in ruins. Recently, the castle has undergone minor reconstructions.

Genealogical resources

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bratislava, Slovakia"

See also

Media related to Čachtice at Wikimedia Commons


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