Fužine Castle is Ljubljana's has retained its original Renaissance character. It was built by a crossing point over the Ljubljanica river's rapids between 1528 and 1557 on commission from the wealthy local merchants Veit Khisl and Hans Weilhaimer, the former of whom served several terms of office as Mayor of Ljubljana. A defence tower was built in each of the four corners of the castle building and another one over the entrance, which is accessible via a stone bridge across the moat surrounding the castle. Inside the castle there are remains of Renaissance and Baroque wall paintings, and on the wooden ceiling of the castle chapel a fragment of a ceiling painting.
During its history the castle has housed an iron smelting works, a smithy, a glassworks and a paper pulping mill, and served as ancillary premises of a power plant. Since 1992, when it was thoroughly renovated by the architect Peter Gabrijelčič, it has been occupied by the Museum of Architecture and Design.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.