Stará Ľubovňa was built where it matters: on a wooded height above the Poprad valley, on the road between the Hungarian kingdom and Poland. That position gave it a role in one of the odder arrangements in Central European history, when a group of Spiš towns was pledged to the Polish crown and administered from this castle for centuries - and it explains why, at a moment of crisis, the Polish crown jewels are said to have been sheltered within its walls. The film follows the castle's evolution from medieval fortification to Renaissance and later residence, exploring the courtyards, the round bastion, the chapel and the museum interiors. Below the walls, an open-air museum of relocated wooden buildings from the surrounding villages adds a vernacular counterpoint. Aerial coverage places the castle in its valley. A strong subject for castles collections and Central European history strands.
