"Castle with a potential" Zuzemberk by ursa9

Žužemberk is a town and a municipality located 40 km southeast from Ljubljana, on the banks of the Krka River.

Take a look at the following site: ZuzemberkENG.htm

The Year 1000 was carved into the stone door of the Žužemberk Castle. In this year a square defence tower already stood on the location of the later castle. The lord of the Savinjska Krajina region at the time was William I, and it seems evident that the castle on the slope rising above the Krka river had been built by him.

An iron ore deposit located on a nearby hill (the village of Zafara) gave the castle the German name Zu Eisenberg, which later became Seisenberg. The local inhabitants of Suha Krajina (the Drylands) changed this name to Žužemberk.

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Žužemberk Castle

In 1295 the castle was sold to Count Albert of Gorica who leased it to its feudal allies. The counts of Gorica became extinct in 1374, and their property came into the hands of the Habsburgs. In 1496 the castle was leased to Jurij of Turjak.

The Turjak-Auerspergs rarely lived there, which is why the castle nobility were its unlimited masters. The castle had cruel dungeons, the most dreadful of which was located below the square tower.

Later the castle was the seat of various offices and the district court which was moved to a new building in 1893. The Prince of Turjak who resided in the Soteska Castle let the Žužemberk Castle fall to ruin.

Soteska Castle

During the WW2 an Italian post was situated in the castle. Following Italy's capitulation, the castle frequently changed its masters - from partisans, German soldiers to members of the home guard. The castle's long-standing history came to an end in 1945. The castle was burnt down again, only its externall walls remained whole.

The restoration of the castle began in 1957 and 1997.

The castle now hosts numerous cultural and tourist events in the summer.

• Pros:very nice surroundings, the nature and overall atmosphere
• Cons:a bit neglected
• In a nutshell:worth visiting (on the way to a spa, for example :-)