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.

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.

Schedule

Ljubljana Castle

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

Virtual Museum, Outlook Tower

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

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.

 

Notes and additional information

Prices

Admission to the Virtual Museum and Outlook Tower

• €5.00 for adults
• €2.00 for children, students, seniors, and those visiting in a group of more than 15 people
• €6.00 for families (two adults and up to three pre-schoolers)

Guided castle tours

• €6.00 for adults (€6.50 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)
• €3.50 for students and seniors (€4.50 for a combined ticket including entrance to the castle and a funicular ride to the castle hill)

Group tours, available by appointment

• €6.00 per person for groups of up to 8 people
• €4.50 per person for groups of 9 to 20 people
• €3.50 per person for groups of 21 to 30 people
• €3.00 per person for groups of pre-schoolers, school groups, and groups of seniors