Žužemberk Castle

Based on the date on the entrance gate of the castle, we can conclude that it was built around the year 1000, although it was first mentioned in writing “only” in 1246. During the Middle Ages, the castle changed many owners. In 1374, the Habsburgs inherited the castle and in 1538 leased it to Wolf and Jurij Engelbert of Turya. Wolf’s son Andrej Auersperg of Schönberg won the battle against the Turks in 1593. When he died the following year, the castle came into the possession of the Auerspergs.

Initially, the castle was a rectangular Romanesque tower, but during the Turkish invasions it had to be fortified with seven defensive towers, so that it became a true fortress that was almost impossible to capture. In 1591, the Žužemberk square burned down, along with the castle, so it had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The castle got its present appearance in the 17th century. The outer wall with six towers, i.e. bastions, has been preserved, but was completely destroyed during WWII. At the end of the 1960s, renovations began.

After 1793, when Prince William I. Auersperg moved from the castle to the Soteska manor, it housed state offices until 1898. After their eviction, the castle began to fall into disrepair, but the Auerspergs remained its owners until the end of WWII. Žužemberk Castle suffered major damage during the war.



Žužemberk Castle is one of the most picturesque castles in Slovenia. Its remains rise on a steep cliff above the Krka river. It is one of the few freely accessible castles in Slovenia, where the most important history of the castle and the peculiarities of the Suha krajina (Dry Carniola) are presented in various castle halls and towers.



The castle is becoming the centre of cultural events in Žužemberk. A new life began in the wine cellar, the only preserved room in the castle, and in the castle courtyard. The most famous traditional cultural-recreational-ethnological-tourist event is the “Trški dnevi” (Market Town Days) in mid-July, when time travellers, knights, gentlemen, blacksmiths and beggars from a few centuries ago visit the castle and the castle square for a few days.



go2.si/101

Gallery

Explore other opportunities for a good adventure, a culinary experience or a reason to escape from the monotonous everyday life



What to see



What to do?



Where to eat?



Where to stay the night?



We are here for you

We are here for you before, during and after your visit. If you have questions, we almost certainly have the answers. If you would like to suggest something, praise or criticise us, we will be happy to receive your message. We welcome any opportunity to further improve and upgrade the experiences of visitors of Suha krajina.

The website visitsuhakrajina.si is co-financed from EU funds within the project Explore, taste and experience Suho Krajina through an interactive, connected and personal experience of natural and cultural heritage (SKIN).

The management authority tasked for implementation of the Rural Development programme of the Republic of Slovenia 2014-2020 is Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

About SKIN

Žužemberk Castle