Ljubljana Castle
Hilltop fortress above the old town, with a viewing tower, puppet museum and gallery spaces.
A fortified site has crowned Castle Hill above the confluence of the Ljubljanica and the old town since at least the twelfth century. Most of what stands today went up from about 1485 under Frederick III and his successors, when the medieval stronghold was rebuilt against Ottoman raids, with further work after the earthquake of 1511. The chapel of Saint George, painted with the coats of arms of the provincial governors, survives from this campaign.
The castle later declined into barracks, a military hospital and, through much of the nineteenth century, a prison. The city bought it in 1905 and restoration ran in stages from the 1960s onwards. A funicular from Krekov trg has carried visitors up since 2006. Inside there is an exhibition on Slovenian history, the Museum of Puppetry, a viewing tower reached by a spiral stair, gallery spaces in the casemate and pentagonal tower, and a year-round programme of concerts and exhibitions.
Highlights
- Outlook tower with a circuit walk over the roofs of the old town
- Chapel of Saint George painted with provincial coats of arms
- Museum of Puppetry and an exhibition on Slovenian history
- Funicular from Krekov trg, running since 2006
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