Likava Castle is among the most massive castle ruins in all of Slovakia and forms an unmissable dominant feature of the lower Liptov region. It rises on a limestone rock of the Choč Mountains above the village of Likavka near Ružomberok.

Likava was designed as a monumental guard fortress of the trade route leading from the Považie region to Poland. The northern palace of the lower castle ranks among the tallest castle structures in our territory by its height – the preserved walls reach a height of more than 30 meters. The massive multi-storey palaces look impressive even after centuries of decay.

Originally a royal guard castle, it was built in the 14th century by Donč, the župan of Zvolen. Later it became the seat of the entire Likava estate and had several notable owners, including the Hunyadi, Illésházy, and Thököly families. The castle's underground spaces also housed a notorious prison, where, according to tradition, Liptov bandits were held captive.

The fate of the castle was sealed by the uprisings of Francis II Rákóczi. Imperial troops captured the castle in 1707 and subsequently had it demolished and burned, so that it could no longer serve as a stronghold for the rebels. Since then it gradually fell into ruin, until extensive conservation began in the 20th century.