Kamen Castle Ruins

Begunje, Slovenia

At the entrance to the Draga Valley, by the fringes of the village of Begunje, the picturesque ruins of Kamen Castle look down from the top of a rocky ledge. This centuries-old trade-route guardian, built on a raised location, awaits you with its Romanesque tower and the imposing ruins of its Gothic and Renaissance extensions.

The castle was built in the twelfth century by the counts of Ortenburg; however, they chose not to live there, and so the castle was managed by castellans. In 1418, the castle came into the possession of the counts of Cilli, and subsequently fell into the hands of the Lambergs in 1436. The most distinguished member of the Lamberg family to come from Kamen Castle was Gašper Lambergar, a tournament knight who is sung about in the folk poem Pegam and Lambergar.

The counts of Lamberg abandoned the castle in the middle of the eighteenth century and moved to the more comfortable Katzenstein Mansion in Begunje.

The castle's location at the entrance to the Draga Valley, its preserved Romanesque tower — which can be climbed all the way to the top — the remnants of its Gothic and Renaissance keeps, and the trail that leads you through the castle area all guarantee a memorable visit. A visit to the castle is free of charge and at your own risk.

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Address

Begunje na Gorenjskem 140, Begunje, Slovenia
See all sites in Begunje

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Ruins in Slovenia

More Information

www.slovenia.info

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Donald Niebyl (19 months ago)
Amazing castle. Beautiful landscape. Definitely check it out!
Vid Prodan (20 months ago)
Hidden jewel between Bled and Tržič. Part of the castle was destroyed in 1610. It very nice for young explorers. The view on the top tower is amazing. It's not serviced so be careful when stepping around.
Shelby MaybeLater (20 months ago)
If given a preference I would come to this location any day over the castle at Lake bled, however know where in the United States would it ever be acceptable to walk around and conditions like this...But I found it to be AWESOME!!!
Dan Pennington (2 years ago)
Beautiful castle, under restoration but a great place for a walk with beautiful views.
Markus Ortner (2 years ago)
Located near Trizic just across the Austria-Slovenian border, you can find this interesting place. While it doesn't appear to be used for tourism right now, the place is overall in good condition. There are a few stairs to help you get around (only the ones to the tower were both) and the whole place is very clean. The place was a pleasant to me and might go there again to visit it during spring time.
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