Ljubljana - Ljubljana Castle - Ljubljanski grad / Ljubljana Castle

Tourism

Sights

Ljubljanski grad / Ljubljana Castle

Address: Grajska planota 1, Ljubljana
Phone: +386 (0)1 232 99 94
Fax +386 (0)1 232 99 94
http://www.ljubljanafestival.si
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Opening hours

Ljubljana Castle

1 October - 30 April: 10:00-21:00 daily,
1 May - 30 September: 9:00-22:00 daily

Virtual Museum, Outlook Tower

1 October - 30 April: 10:00-18:00 daily,
1 May - 30 September: 9:00-21:00 daily

Castle tours are available from 1 June to 15 September daily at 10:00 and 16:00, and from 16 September to 30 May by appointment. Tours start from the drawbridge in front of the main entrance to the castle's courtyard.

Ljubljana Card

The holders of the Ljubljana Card tourist pass receive a 20 percent discount on admission to the Outlook Tower and Virtual Museum or the price of a castle tour taken by at least five people

Location description

There is proven evidence that Ljubljana's castle hill, the site of the city's most striking landmark, was inhabited as early as in the 12th century BC.The earliest evidence of a hilltop settlement are archaeological remains of the Urnfield culture.

The castle hill's earliest known fortification of considerable dimensions was built in Illyrian and Celtic times. The top of the hill was probably also the site of a Roman stronghold. The 9th century saw the building of a medieval castle, first mentioned in a document dating from between 1112 and 1125, when the castle was the seat of the Counts of Spanheim, the local rulers known to have coined their own money in Ljubljana. In 1335 the castle became the hereditary property of the house of Hapsburg and the centre of the Duchy of Carniola. In the second half of the 15th century a new, larger, circular castle was built by Duke Frederick III of Hapsburg, later crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

Except for the outer walls of the Chapel of St. George (Kapela sv. Jurija), consecrated in 1489, all the main parts of the present castle were either built or rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries. Until 1814 the castle served as a garrison and after that as a provincial prison. 1848 saw the building of the castle's Outlook Tower (Razgledni stolp), the home of a guard whose duty was to fire cannons to warn of fire or announce important visitors or events - a duty previously performed by town servants at the Pipers' Tower (Stolp piskačev). In 1905 the castle was purchased by the Municipality of Ljubljana to be used for cultural purposes, but until 1964 it was mainly a residential dwelling. Afterwards it underwent a renovation which is still going on. Since 2000, the castle has been administered by the Festival Ljubljana event management company. Ljubljana Castle adds a special touch to the city's cultural vibrancy. It is an attractive tourist sight and a picturesque venue for concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, conferences and official functions.