Smlednik Castle Ruins, Smlednik, Slovenia

Smlednik Castle was presumably built in the 12th century on the foundations of a prehistoric fort and a Roman stronghold of a later origin. The strategic location of the hill overlooking a crossing of the Sava River was appreciated by the first lords of the region, the Counts of Weimar Orlamunde, who built a defence tower on the hilltop in the 11th century. The tower was then expanded in several phases, but remained unaltered after 1610 and is thus the purest example of the architectural development of a mid-sized medieval castle in central Slovenia.

The famous Slovenian chronist Janez Vajkard Valvasor reffered to the Smlednik castle as a ruin already in the second half of the 17th century.

User Reviews

kobe (10 months ago)
Nice viewpoint, tough climb up the hill, no entrance fee, possible to drink and eat at the top

Alexandr (11 months ago)
Entrance is free, there is parking and a small cafe. The panoramic view is very beautiful

احمد محمد (11 months ago)
View of the ruins of Smlednik Castle with Mount Storzic, part of the Kamnik Alps, beyond Slovenia. Kase UK Polarized Magnetic Filters I found this site and view a year ago, but this evening was the best ever. After a night of snow, the Kamnik Alps had a beautiful new white coating, and as the cloud and mist moved and swirled around, there were plenty of great moments to capture. The hard part is choosing the best ones. So here's the first. More is coming.

Aline Lefebvre (17 months ago)
Very nice ruins! It's quite the climb up so wear good shoes. When you get to the ruins you have an amazing view. We didn't wear good shoes so the last part to the ruines was slippery as you can see in the picture but we made it and had a good laugh :)

Wanderers Compass Travel Blog (2 years ago)
The road will seem rough you but continue on. Cars are allowed and there is nice parking once you reach the castle. The castle is on hilltop with gorgeous views. You can enter the castle easily. There are informational placards in Slovenian. To our surprise there is a lovely restaurant cafe at the base of the castle. There is indoor and outdoor seating. Restrooms available. There is a large children playground. We were greeted by two sweet dogs likely belonging to the owners. Hard to resist enjoying a coffee while taking in the breathtaking views. Many people seemed to be hiking up but it is a steady path uphill so driving is best.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

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Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

Smlednik Castle Ruins

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