Straddling the Váh river, the town of Trenčín has a well-preserved historic centre. In ancient times the site was occupied by a Roman military camp, Laugaricio. It is still possible to see an inscription carved into the rock face below the castle concerning the victorious battle fought here in AD 179 with the German tribe the Quadi.

Trenčín’s huge Gothic Castle has recently undergone a thorough restoration. Built in the 11th century, it became, two centuries later, the property of Matúš Čák, one of Hungary’s most powerful magnates, the “Lord of the Váh and the Tatras”. The dominant feature of the castle’s silhouette is its tower, Matúšova veža, erected during the times of Čák. Adjoining it are the stately Gothic palaces built by Sigismund of Luxemburg and Louis of Hungary. Now they are occupied by the Trenčín Museum  (Trenčinaske múzeum) as an exhibition venue, with reconstructed interiors of 11th-century feudal houses; a gallery of paintings from the Illésházy family estate; and an exhibition of historic arms. In the courtyard is Omar’s well, 80 m (260 ft) deep, which was dug between 1557 and 1570.

The town itself centres on the main square, Mierové námestie. The Baroque Piarist Church  (Piaristický kostol) here, from the mid-17th century, has attractive trompel’oeil paintings. The yellow Parish Church (Farský kostol), at the base of the lane to the castle, was rebuilt after a fire in 1528.