Zrinski Castle

Čakovec, Croatia

Čakovec or Zrinski Castle is the biggest fortification in Međimurje County. It was constructed of hewn stone and red brick, and, during its more than 7-century-long history, subjected to several reconstructions. Today it is partly restored.

First fortification was built in the 13th century by Count Dimitrius Csáky, after whom the city of Čakovec is named. It was later owned by many other notable families, including the House of Lacković, the Counts of Celje as well as the House of Ernušt, House of Zrinski, House of Feštetić and others.

Nikola Šubić Zrinski, Ban (viceroy) of Croatia and hero of Siget, was granted the castle together with the whole area of Međimurje on 12 March 1546 from King Ferdinand as a compensation for his battles against the Ottomans.

Nikola Šubić Zrinski's great-grandson Nikola VII Zrinski, long-term Ban of Croatia and famous warrior against the Turks, was born in Čakovec Castle in 1620 to Juraj V Zrinski and Magdalena Zrinski née Széchy. In his castle he established and owned a unique book collection named 'Bibliotheca Zriniana'.

In 1660 the castle was visited by Evliya Çelebi, Turkish traveller and writer, and in 1661 by Jacobus Tollius, Dutch philologist. The famous Hungarian poet-general Miklós Zrínyi died here in 18 Nov 1664.

On 30 April 1738 castle was heavily damaged in an earthquake. It was immediately rebuilt and redesigned in baroque style, and it was given its present-day look. Water-filled moats, that entirely surrounded the castle, were later drained and filled with earth.

The castle's main palace houses the Međimurje County Museum, the biggest museum in the county, and its atrium is also used as an outdoor theatre during the summer months. The place was the scene of the Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy, a significant event in the history of Croatia.

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Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Croatia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Nynke H (7 months ago)
For historian enthousiast an interesting stop en route. The museum has taken a modern approach and also focused on social history by including the local history of the ordinary man.
Oscar T (7 months ago)
Lovely employees and a nice interesting museum. I would have enjoyed more history that was decisive for the castle and region, but the history about how ordinary people lived there was interesting as well.
Manfred Schrenk (2 years ago)
Excellent ACCESSIBLE Museum on Regional History
Tonimir Hub (3 years ago)
Great place to visit on weekend. Inside the castle there is a museum that we didn't had chance to visit - it didn't work on Saturday. There is very nice bar on the city walls and nice restaurant as well. It is a little bit expensive though but a really nice experience as well. Will visit again.
Nikolas Belalis (3 years ago)
Very nice castle and in really good condition. We didn't visit the interior, so i don't how interesting it is, but we really enjoyed a stroll around it and in its courtyard. An important monument and landmark of this small town.
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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.

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