At the edge of a forest garden in the village of Háj, Slovakia — near Košice and the ruins of Turniansky Castle — an 18-meter stone tower rises like something out of a fantasy novel. It was not drawn up for a developer. It was built, almost entirely alone, by Peter Šimkanin, who started stacking stone in 2011 and spent roughly 12 years on the tower (plus about three more on a Hobbit-house bathroom). He recently submitted the project to Tiny House Talk, and it is one of the coolest reader builds we have seen.
A Personal “Little World,” Not a Business Plan
Peter is a manager by day and a climbing-book author on the side. When he finished other projects at home, he wanted something long, physical, and creative — the kind of work that doubles as meditation and keeps you fit. As a lifelong fantasy reader, he had always liked the idea of a wizard’s tower: a private place for books, music, and quiet. Disney’s Tangled (Na vlásku in Slovak) arrived while he was still figuring out the shape, and the film’s unusual roof sealed the look.
Importantly, the tower was not built as lodging. At first there was no kitchen and no bathroom. It was meant to be his little world up the garden slope — two rooms (bedroom and living room) above a spiral of about 44 stone steps, with balcony views over Háj and the castle.
12 Years, Mostly Solo, No Heavy Machinery
Peter estimates he did about 90% of the tower work himself. The big exception was the roof, where he brought in help. There was no building company and no heavy machinery — just years of handwork on a steep slope at the forest edge. Slovak reporting (including Pravda) has put the job at roughly 150 tons of stone, about 3,500 hours on the tower and another 500 on the bathroom, plus hundreds of mixer loads of concrete, tons of timber, and slate for that fairy-tale roof and brass spire.
Because the garden climbs so sharply, the view from the top feels even taller than the 18-meter structure — more like standing high above the village than simply “up a tower.”
Inside the Tower
Climb the spiral and you land in a handcrafted interior that mixes steampunk details with Jules Verne vibes Peter grew up on. The living level holds a reading chair, vinyl, a wood stove, and a bookshelf packed with fantasy titles. A ladder leads to the bedroom under the conical timber roof — curved walls, warm wood, and an arched window looking into the trees.
When Visitors Asked to Stay Overnight
About three years ago, people started visiting and asking whether they could sleep in the tower. Peter had never planned on that — then he adapted. He spent years building a small Hobbit-house bathroom into the hillside (round red door and all), added a tiny kitchenette in the tower’s underground level, and only recently began listing stays on Booking and Airbnb. He is clear that rentals are a side effect, not the main purpose: he is happiest when guests simply enjoy the place.
Still a Work in Progress
Even after more than a decade, Peter says there are details he still wants to improve. That tracks with how he talks about the whole project: less finish line, more ongoing creative practice. If you are the sort of person who sketches a tower in a notebook and then actually builds it stone by stone, you will understand.
Learn More
Peter Šimkanin — Veža na vlásku (“Living in the Tower”)
Location: Háj, Slovakia (Slovak Karst / near Košice)
Contact: peter.simkanin@gmail.com
Facebook: search Veža na vlásku (no verified public page URL confirmed at writing)
Stays: Book on Booking.com · Book on Airbnb (hosted by Peter)
Background reading: Pravda · Košice Región
Photos courtesy of Peter Šimkanin.
Highlights
- DIY fantasy tower in Háj, Slovakia — inspired by wizard towers and Disney’s Tangled (Na vlásku)
- Started 2011; ~12 years on the tower + ~3 years on the Hobbit-house bathroom
- ~18 m tall; two rooms (bedroom + living); spiral stairs with ~44 steps; balcony views
- ~90% solo build; help mainly on the roof; no heavy machinery or building company
- Publicly reported: ~150 tons of stone, ~3,500 hours on the tower, ~500 on the bathroom
- Originally a private retreat (no kitchen/bath) — adapted for overnight guests after visitors asked
- Available to rent via Booking.com and Airbnb as a side project, not Peter’s main business
- Submitted to Tiny House Talk by builder Peter Šimkanin
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Alex
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