The Kostel Castle is now largely in ruins, but it has played a strategically important role in an often turbulent part of Europe. In the 15th century, a small castle that had previously occupied the spot, at an altitude of 400 meters, was expanded into a sizeable fortress. The construction was funded by the then-owners of the castle, the Counts of Celje, the most formidable family of nobles in the Slovenian lands. Foto: Wikipedia
The Kostel Castle is now largely in ruins, but it has played a strategically important role in an often turbulent part of Europe. In the 15th century, a small castle that had previously occupied the spot, at an altitude of 400 meters, was expanded into a sizeable fortress. The construction was funded by the then-owners of the castle, the Counts of Celje, the most formidable family of nobles in the Slovenian lands. Foto: Wikipedia

Perched on a hill overlooking Slovenia’s Kolpa River Valley, a stone’s throw from the Croatian border, the Kostel Castle is now largely in ruins, but it has played a strategically important role in an often turbulent part of Europe.

In the 15th century, a small castle that had previously occupied the spot, at an altitude of 400 meters, was expanded into a sizeable fortress. The construction was funded by the then-owners of the castle, the Counts of Celje, the most formidable family of nobles in the Slovenian lands.

The castle was so imposing that it even gave the name to the nearby settlement of Kostel (from “castellum,” meaning “castle”). With the decline of the Count of Celje, the building passed on to Hapsburg hands, as did so much property in what is now Slovenia. But its most interesting years were still to come.

From the early 15th century onwards, Turkish forces made frequent raids into Slovenian territory. They destroyed many villages in the area, but for many years, they were no match for the Kostel Castle and its imposing fortifications. That all changed one day in 1578, when they employed a trick worthy of the Greeks’ attack on Troy: The Turks pretended to be Croatian refugees and asked to be let into the castle. Feeling sorry for the poor peasants, he inhabitants of the castle obliged and allowed the Turks to enter. At night, the “refugees” unlocked the doors and let in the Turkish army. The castle was captured; the Turks plundered Kostel’s riches and destroyed much of what they couldn’t take with them.

The castle was recaptured and repaired, however, and continued to play an important role in the Christian defense against the Turks. It was finally destroyed by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars and replaced by a smaller castle built on the site of the old fortifications. The replacement lasted only until World War II, however. That’s when it was burned down by the Partisan guerillas, who claimed that it was used as a refuge by the collaborationist Home Guards.

In recent years, the Kostel Castle has been partly renovated, but funds for further works have are hard to come by. The responsibility for the building’s renovation has been passed from the government in Ljubljana, whose austerity budget makes large-scale projects difficult to justify, to the local community, which lacks the resources for such as an ambitious task.

Local enthusiasts hope that European funds will finally allow the current work to finish and at least make the site safe for visitors wishing to admire the spectacular view of the Kolpa River from the centuries-old castle.