Tivoli Castle, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Tivoli Castle is a mansion located in the Ljubljana's Tivoli Park. In the early 15th century, a tower stood in the woods above the site; it was owned by Georg Apfalterer, an ally of Duke Frederick (later Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III). The tower was destroyed by Frederick II, Count of Celje in 1440.

The current structure was built in the 17th century atop the ruins of a previous Renaissance-period castle, the mansion was initially owned by the Jesuits, but came into the possession of the Diocese of Ljubljana following the 1773 suppression of the Jesuit order. Used as the bishop's summer residence, it was surrounded with orchards.

In the mid-19th century, it was bought by the Austrian emperor Francis Joseph I, who in 1852 presented it as a gift to the veteran Habsburg marshal Joseph Radetzky. Radetzky renovated the mansion in the Neoclassical style, giving it its present appearance, and spent much of his retirement in it with his wife Francisca von Strassoldo Grafenberg, a local Carniolan noblewoman.

The field marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz (1766–1858) contributed a lot to the arrangement of Tivoli Park. There was a full-size cast iron statue of Radetzky on display in Ljubljana on the steps in front of Tivoli Castle from 1882 till 1918. In 1851, it won a prize at the Great Exhibition in London. Today, it is preserved by the City Museum of Ljubljana. The statue's pedestal, however, remains at its original place.

In 1863, the mansion was bought by the Municipality of Ljubljana, who used it as (among other things) a poorhouse, later subdividing it into condominiums. In 1967, it was again renovated and became the venue for the International Centre of Graphic Arts.

In 1864, the Austrian sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn created four cast iron dogs, still on display in Tivoli Park in front of Tivoli Castle. The dogs do not have tongues, and it has been falsely rumoured that Fernkorn committed suicide by shooting himself due to this mistake.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Andrea Nori (21 months ago)
Definitively the symbol of the Slovenian capital, which can be admired from literally every point of the center as it dominates Ljubljana. From the castle there are various vantage points from which you can see the city center quite well and, when possible, you can also see the Austrian mountains. To reach the castle you can use the funicular or you can also reach it on foot. The climb is not impossible so I don't recommend using the funicular in order to save some money. I think the Castle itself is only beautiful as a panoramic point, as I don't think the interior is worthy of a visit

Thomas Carsjens (2 years ago)
Being located in the middle of the city, the castle is a very popular tourist attraction. It is therefore recommended to visit the castle as early as possible. Inside the castle multiple restaurants and several nice exhibitions can be found. Be aware that visiting the castle is free, but that all indoor exhibitions require a ticket. The castle and the surrounding paths give nice views over the city and it's worth to watch the sunset from the top of the hill! (Buying a Ljubljana Tourist Card gives free access to the castle, funicular, a lot of museums and the zoo in Ljubljana)

Joss Taylor (2 years ago)
I visited the castle twice on my trip to Ljubljana. Firstly, as this is the end of the walking city tour as part of the Ljubljana Tourist Card, and secondly through entry to the Viewing Tower. Both times, riding the funicular to the castle, as this is a much easier route than the walk up the steep hill. The castle itself is beautiful, with amazing views of the city and beyond. There are a number of exhibitions/museums on show which are all good. I'd say the highlight is the viewing tower. The top of the tower has the best views of the city and the Alps beyond. Unfortunately it isn't open during the sunset when I visited, however, there is a great spot just outside the castle, next to the viewing tower. There's also a bar out there, but get there earlier as the tables seemed to fill up quickly.

Nicolas Pablo De la Tierra (2 years ago)
The Castle of Ljubljana sits on the central hill that is prominent in the old part of the city. It's important to know that the top of the hill, where the castle is, can be reached on foot, bicycle, and car from different pathways. The least energy consuming pathway is the Gondola lift, located to the north-east of the hill. The use of this lift is only possible by buying a full castle tour ticket. The Castle ticket is normally 10€ if you buy it up, and 13 if you want to catch the lift. An additional fee can be paid for an audio recorded guide. The devices communicate wirelessly with the exhibits so that you can just walk around and the recordings will change accordingly. The Castle is very well maintained but the whole experience remains on the commercials side of things. Not a good bargain for the cost, but nonetheless an iconic tourist destination. Perhaps a lot more interesting and enjoyable are the small streets around the hill of the Castle, with characteristic buildings and the central water canal. At the Castle itself the visit is divided into different exhibition sites, with the high tower being somewhat the highest attraction. The exhibition sites focus on historical events in the history of Slovenia, including the more recent independence from Yugoslavia. A short but steep walk down the hill will take you back to the old town.

Pisák Tamás (2 years ago)
You can approach the castle by foot, cable car, car or by little train :) We went by walk, it's not difficult to go to the top, it's nice and green and you can reach it in 10-15 minutes. Before enter the castle you can buy the ticket to the tower. Inside the castle you can drink a soft drink which was very nice on a warm day. The castle is clean and nicely renovated. We also saw 3 weddings on that day. The view from the tower was beautiful. The museum was interesting. We had a lot of fun and we definitely recommend it to anyone. Enjoy it!

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