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.

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Smlednik, Slovenia
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Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Slovenia

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

kobe (7 months ago)
Nice viewpoint, tough climb up the hill, no entrance fee, possible to drink and eat at the top
Alexandr (8 months ago)
Entrance is free, there is parking and a small cafe. The panoramic view is very beautiful
احمد محمد (8 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 (14 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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The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.