While other castles were conquered by armies, Blatnica Castle was "buried" by the comfort of its owners. The powerful Révay family owned this castle the longest (from 1540 until the 20th century). However, at the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century, the nobility realized that freezing in a cold stone castle on a steep hill was no longer in fashion. The Révays built modern, warm manor houses for themselves down in the village of Blatnica. They gradually took away everything valuable from the castle, and in 1790 it was already officially mentioned only as an uninhabited ruin.

Even though the castle was already abandoned, its surroundings left an indelible mark on our culture. In 1921, the Siakeľ brothers chose the wild rock formations and deep forests of the Gaderská dolina valley directly below the castle as the main exteriors for filming the first Slovak full-length silent film Jánošík. The castle's surroundings thus served as the perfect film backdrop for the life of outlaws.

Currently, its rescue is being pursued by the civic association Diadém – Association for the Rescue of Blatnica Castle.  It is a group of enthusiasts and volunteers who have decided not to leave this precious monument to its fate.