Forgach Manor House in Jelenec
The manor house, built by Paulus IV Forgach in 1722, was originally situated on the eastern border of the municipality. In the 18th century it underwent a number of renovations, resulting in a triple-winged building on a U-shaped ground plan. The English park surrounding the manor farm covered a surface of 380 × 650 m. Agricultural buildings and an orchard formed part of the compound as well. The south wing of building was torn down already before World War I.
From station No. 29 we continue left crossing the Jelenský Stream on a bridge, then on a trail parallel to the marker with a symbol (blue with a white square of 10 × 10 cm). We continue straight ahead to a bus stop, where the marking turns right facing the gate of the manor house with the local name Forgáčov dvor (Forgach Manor House) in 200 MASL. A protected lime tree, originally part of the manor garden, is visible from the trail; parking opportunities.
Time: 11 min., in the opposite direction 11 min., length: 0.8 km, easy.
The northern farm building with a chapel in its eastern park and the eastern residential wing are still preserved. An avant-corps in the façade of the north wing contains a passage to the yard and is decorated with the family´s coats of arms. The avant-corps of the east wing has a triangular gable decorated with a crowned female bust, which is flanked by the reliefs of the castles Gýmeš and Sklabiňa. The inner rooms are vaulted with segmental barrel vaults and trough vaults. Some of the windows still show the original stone chambranles. During the 19th century the interior was equipped with Baroque furniture mostly from Gýmeš Castle. The walls were decorated with paintings from the family picture gallery and with hunting trophies. The manor house was owned by the Forgach Family until its socialisation in 1945. From 1947 to 1960 a school was accommodated here, after that the buildings served as granary, which necessitated a number of inappropriate constructional interventions.
Currently the north wing is used as a restaurant and shop; In 2009 the eastern wing was renovated, today it houses the Museum of the Forgach Family and the ethnographical collection of Csemadok, the Hungarian Social and Cultural Association of Slovakia.
Múzeum rodu Forgách (Museum of the Forgács Family)
Hlavná ul. - Forgáčov dvor, 951 73 Jelenec Tel.: +421 37 631 33 11, +421 37 631 32 04 E-mail: [email protected]
Opening hours: WED, SAT, SUN: 13:00–16:00 (guided group tours after prior notification also outside the opening hours)
