Trakoscan castle is probably the most attractive castle in Croatia and certainly the most visited. It is located in Hrvatsko Zagorje, 40 km southwest of Varazdin and 80 km northwest of Zagreb.
Trakošćan was built in the late 13th century as part of the defence fortification network of the Zagorje principality. It was a small fortress serving as an observation post for monitoring the local roads. During centuries it was several times expanded and renovated. The most prominent owners were the Draskovic family who ruled the castle since 1525 until the end of the World War II.
The castle is today castle owned by the Republic of Croatia and it is a museum. The Museum holdings have started to be put in order since 1952, per phases, and the process has not been entirely completed yet. Collections on permanent display include the original order of things, as they were when they were still in use. The exhibits date from the 15th to the 19th c. and are distributed per individual rooms constituting separate interior units. Of special significance are the knights’ room, the hunting room, the music salon and the study of painter Julijana Erdödy (first Croatian women that achieved the title of academic painter), along with smaller but not less important collections dispersed in various spaces in the castle. Special attention should be paid to the arms collection with specimens of firearms dating from 15th -19th century.
Trakoscan is the incarnation of nineteenth-century Romanticism and a perfect synthesis of nature and architecture. Impressively placed on a conspicuous cone-shaped hill, with a garden in the middle of wooded parkland, Trakošćan is a cultural monument of the highest category.
Trakoscan has one among the most beautiful and best maintained parks, with exuberant vegetation, full of interesting shapes and lovely panoramas. It provides a unique experience of pristine nature accompanied by a rich and varied tourist offer. A beautiful walk up to the hill and to the castle provides magnificent views on the surroundings.
Just below the castle a pristine lake is situated where you can go for a walk, rent a little boat or have a snack in a peaceful restaurant.
In the immediate vicinity of the castle, there is also a hotel, souvenir shop and free parking.
Office hours:
9h – 18h during summer (1.4. – 30.9.)
9h – 16h during winter (1.10. – 31.3.)
- Trakoscan castle location /map
- Trakoscan web site
- Culture travel in Croatia - Get to know the cultural - historical heritage of Croatia
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