Bistra Castle

Bistra, Slovenia

Bistra Carthusian Monastery was founded in 1255 as the first monastery in Carniola. The first half of the 14th century represents the culmination of the monastery. This is when the monastery greatly expanded and invested in the functioning of the monastic library, where they created a number of copies and original works. Later began the slow decay of the monastery which was repeatedly hit by fires and in 1670 by a strong earthquake. The final collapse of the monastery came when the Emperor Joseph II commanded the dissolution of the monasteries which did not contributed to the prosperity of the country.

The property was split into several parts - some were confiscated, some passed into the hands of the Church and some were sold. The castle’s image, as you can admire it today, was shaped after many renovations in the mid-19th century, when the grounds became the property of the Galle family. In 1945 the property was nationalized, and since 1951, the castle is a cultural monument of national importance and the place of the Technical Museum of Slovenia.

The attention of most visitors is drawn towards the water-driven elements - the flour mill, blacksmith’s workshop, fulling mill and veneer sawmill, and some temporary exhibitions. Road vehicle fans won’t be disappointed either. They can admire the oldest surviving car from Slovenia or enjoy the sight of the limousines that once belonged to President Tito, Premier of former Yugoslavia.

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Address

Bistra 5, Bistra, Slovenia
See all sites in Bistra

Details

Founded: 1255
Category: Castles and fortifications in Slovenia

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Joep (5 months ago)
there is something nice to see for everyone. very varied museum. the black Tomos D5 racer in the first hall is not a D5S as the sign next to it said but a "normal" D5 series 2
Dóra Verasztó (6 months ago)
Very underrated!!! We could only stay around. 3.5 hours, because we didn't expect it to be this interesting, and still had things we couldn't see. The exhibition is organized into topics, like forests, agriculture, textiles, breadmaking etc. Everyone can find what they're interested in. There is also a working water mill. We absolutely loved it! And the location is also very pretty. Ps: there's free parking and despite it being a saturday, there was almost no one. Signs are available in English in around 80% of the exhibit.
blanka puž (3 years ago)
Georgeus, authentic, precious and massive technical collection of our history collected in beautiful place, surrounded by stunning nature. There are also visual and video effects . You can see old timers, old agricultural machines, bikes, motorcycles, sports accesories, printing presses, medicine stuff, and many other things which makes us speechless. Family Entrance fee 13 euro. Totally worth it. Parking at entrance.
Klemen Peterlin (3 years ago)
Nice and tidy place with lots to do. Oldtimer cars being the main attraction, but the whole place is quite big with very nice castle-like gardens and buildings. Museum covers the whole range of technology from watermills, hunting, woodworking, electricity and many others. We easily spent 3 hours and could do more. In our opinion, 13€ for two adults and a kid is more than reasonable for the whole package. Recommended!
Marko Miljkovic (3 years ago)
Very interesting museum in a wonderful location, and great for learning a piece of Slovenin history! Well organized collection, although some parts are a bit conventional and need to be updated. Overall, a very nice museum which will capture your attention for at least an hour, or more, easily.
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