Ljubljanski grad / Ljubljana Castle

Description

Ljubljana Castle, the city's most striking landmark, 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.

Viewing Tower

Ljubljana Castle's Viewing Tower offers the most beautiful views of Ljubljana and its surrounding areas. Its site was originally occupied by the Pipers' Tower, pulled down after the French occupation in 1813, and later by a fire lookout tower, home of the city's fire lookout.

Virtual Castle

A virtual walk through the history of Ljubljana Castle offers an opportunity to learn about archaeological findings in the area, the castle's architectural development through different periods of time, and the interior of the caste. The 12-minute virtual tour is available in English, German, Italian, Croatian, Russian, French and Spanish.
 

Permanent exhibition: Slovenian History

Slovenian History, Ljubljana Castle's new permanent exhibition, shows the dynamic history of Slovenia and Ljubljana. Slovenian territory, lying at the junction of natural routes between the Alps, the Adriatic Sea and the Pannonian Plain, has been the point of convergence of different peoples and cultures since prehistory. The exhibition covers the Slovenian history from the earliest traces of human presence (200,000 BC) to the landmark events following Slovenia's independence in 1991.

Permanent exhibition: 310-Million-Year-Old Fossil Rocks

This exhibition, on display at the upper station of the Ljubljana Castle funicular, shows the rocks composing the the Posavje folds and the castle hill as part of them. The rocks were formed in the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago, in a river delta located in a tropical climate, close to the equator.

St. George's Chapel

St. George's Chapel, originally built in the Gothic style and later rebuilt in the Baroque style, is one of the oldest parts of Ljubljana Castle. It is decorated with 15th century frescoes and 1747 wall paintings of the coats of arms of provincial governors-general and five Austrian rulers.
 

Schedule

Ljubljana Castle and Funicular

• 1 October - 31 March: 10:00-21:00 daily,
• 1 April - 30 September: 9:00-23:00 daily

Info center, Virtual Castle, Outlook Tower

• 1 October - 31 March: 10:00-18:00 daily,
• 1 April - 30 September: 9:00-21:00 daily

Castle tours are available from 1 June to 15 September. They are scheduled at 10:00 and 16:00 in June, at 10:00, 11:30, 18:00 and 20:00 in July and August, and at 10:30, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00 in September. The tours scheduled at 20:00 include a glass of sparkling wine served on top of the castle's Outlook Tower. From 16 September and 30 May, castle tours are only available by prior appointment. The castle tour departs from in front of the castle's Info Centre.

Location

There is proven evidence that Ljubljana's castle hill, 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. In December 2010 the City Municipality of Ljubljana established the independent public institute Ljubljana Castle.

 

Notes and additional information

Prices

Admission:

• €6.00 for adults (€8.00 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)
• €3.00 for children, students, seniors, and those visiting in a group of more than 15 people (€5.00 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)
• €15.00 for families - two adults and up to three pre-schoolers (€21.00 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)

The ticket to Ljubljana Castle includes admission to the Virtual Castle, Outlook Tower, permanent exhibition Slovenian History, and all temporary exhibitions held in the castle.

Guided castle tours

• €8.00 for adults (€10.00 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)
• €6.00 for students and seniors (€8.00 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)