Grad Turjak
Turjak 30, SI-1311 Turjak
Phone386 (0) 7 041 87 89
Managed byTrubarjevi kraji Public Institute
Turjak Castle
From Culture.si
Contact
History
Both the castle and the village take their name from an extinct species of bovine, which also appears in the coat of arms of the castle’s former owners, the noble family Auersperg which owned the castle until 1943. The Auerspergs were one of the most prominent noble families in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Notable members of the family include Herbard VIII von Auersperg and Andreas von Auersperg. Herbard VIII von Auersperg was a governor of Carniola who was beheaded by Ottoman forces in 1575; the Auersperg family later bought his head and preserved it – together with the head of Friderik von Weichselburg – as a relic until 1943. Andreas von Auersperg was the leader of the forces that defeated the Ottoman army at the Battle of Sisak in 1593.
In the 16th century, Auerspergs were supporters of Protestantism in Slovenia and offered refuge at the castle to both Primož Trubar and Jurij Dalmatin, two of the most important Slovenian Protestant reformers. Turjak castle is also famously mentioned in France Prešeren’s poem “Turjaška Rozamunda” (“Rosamund of Turjak”). In the opening line, Prešeren mentions an oak tree standing in front of the castle; in reality, the tree in front of the castle is not an oak but a very old and magnificent linden.
During World War II the castle was heavily damaged; the restoration began in the 1960s. In 1988 it was declared as an important part of cultural and historic heritage.
Renovation
In 2024, the Ministry of Culture initiated a renovation project that will conclude in the summer of 2026. After the renovation, a new permanent exhibition will present Slovenian history through the story of the Auersperg/Turjak family, from their arrival in the Middle Ages and ending to their departure in 1943. In addition to the exhibition, the castle will also include accommodation facilities, event spaces, a breakfast room and a café. A wine cellar will be opened in the bastion’s basement, while the ruins of the former stables will house a storage area for bicycles and other sports equipment. The castle will also feature a gift shop, a restaurant and a wedding hall. A new dedicated website and social media profiles will also be launched.
See also
- Trubarjevi kraji Public Institute
- Levstik House – Memorial Rooms of Fran Levstik and Josip Stritar
- Trubar Homestead
- Žužemberk Castle
External links
- Turjak Castle website
- Turjak Castle on Wikipedia
- Turjak Castle VR panoramas on Burger.si website
- Monograph publication of Miha Preinfalk on Auersperg family and their history
- Society for Heritage Protection Gradež
Gallery
