Snežnik Castle Museum

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Grad Snežnik

Kozarišče 67, SI-1386 Stari trg pri Ložu

http://www.nms.si

Phone386 (0) 1 705 78 14

Founded byMinistry of Culture

The earliest record of Snežnik Castle dates from 1269 when it was owned by the patriarchs of Aquileia. Castle lies on strategic site, on the edge of Lož Valley under Snežnik mountains surrounded by beautiful park and wast forests with diverse and rich flora and fauna with big game ranging from bears, boars, wolves and lynxes, to wild fowl and deer and was always favourite hunting residence. In centuries the castle changed owners many times, but in 1853 the castle and associated forests of Snežnik were bought by German Prince Otto Viktor Schönburg-Waldenburg, who gave it to his third son Georg. Thereafter it remained in the Schönburg-Waldenburg family until 1945. Last caretaker Leon Schauta saved after second world war Snežnik Castle from destruction by keeping good relations with locals, before and after the war. Restoration began in the 1960s and the castle opened to the public in 1970-1971. In 1983 two additional exhibition rooms were opened. After a restoration completed in 2008, the romantic state-owned castle came under administration of National Museum of Slovenia and is only Slovene Castle with genuine furnished interiors.

Prince Georg Schönburg-Waldenburg had several additions made to the castle and gave it the appearance it has preserved to the present day. In 1860-1864 a third floor was added, a robust round tower at the back, a cellar and on top of it a terrace with battlements and a small round, conical tower. This new structure was connected to the walls which enclose the inner courtyard. At the same time the exterior was altered and the interior was also renovated and embellished with precious furniture and other furnishings to serve the purposes of the owner. Prince Georg also had an outbuilding added and arranged the surrounding park on the pattern of contemporaneous English parks.

Snežnik Castle is one of the few castles in Slovenia in which the entire inventory of the last owners, the Schönburg-Waldenburgs, has been preserved. Its interior furnishings date mainly from the mid-late 19th century and include furniture, tableware, old paintings, wall tapestries, books and objects for everyday use. Noteworthy artefacts on display within the building include the four Roman tombstones built into the castle wall (1st century CE), a German Protestant Bible dating from 1735 and an original map of the Duchy of Carniola from 1744 made by Janez Dizma Florjančič. Amongst the exhibited furniture special attention should be paid to the Egyptian Room, furnished with Salon furniture from the Egyptomania style popular in the early 20th century.

See also

• National Museum of Slovenia
• Snežnik Museum Castle

External links

• Castle Snežnik on National Museum of Slovenia website
• Snežnik Castle on Wikipedia
• Snežnik Castle on Turizem Kras website
• Castle Snežnik on Burger VR - Panoramas
• Commune of the Lož Valley