Trakošćan Castle
Trakošćan was created at the end of the 13th century. century in the defense system of northwestern Croatia as a smaller observation fort to monitor the road from Ptuj to the Bednjan valley.
According to legend, Trakošćan got its name from the Thracian fortress (arx Thacorum), which supposedly existed in antiquity. Another preserved tradition says that it got its name from the Drachenstein knights who ruled those regions in the early Middle Ages.
The toponym Trakošćan was first mentioned in written documents in 1334. years.
The owners of the fort in the first centuries are not known, we only know that from the end of the 14th century owners the Counts of Celjski, who at the same time rule the entire County of Zagorje. Soon that family dies out and the people of Trakošćan share the fate of their other cities and estates, which are fragmented and change different masters. In that division, Trakošćan, as a unique estate, belonged first to the military leader Jan Vitovac, then to Ivaniš Korvin, who gave it to his subban Ivan Gyulaj. This family
he kept the castle for three generations, and died in 1566, and the manor was taken over by the state.
Text source: http://www.turizam-trakoscan.hr/dvorac-trakoscan/
protected cultural heritage
Leaving the castle
In the boom period of the construction of castles in Croatian Zagorje, in the second half of the 18th century, the people of Trakošćan left. Neglected, it began to rapidly deteriorate, so only in the middle of the 19th century, the family became interested in their titular city again, in the spirit of the new times, a romantic return to nature and family traditions.
Renewal again
Deputy Marshal Juraj V. Drašković rebuilds the city into a residential castle, and turns the park environment into a romantic park. Subsequent generations occasionally stayed in Trakošćan until 1944. when they moved to Austria, the castle was nationalized soon after.
In the top 12
In 2017, the prestigious travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler included in Trakošćan among the 12 most beautiful European castles. Since 1953 the castle has a permanent museum display, which, in addition to a faithful reconstruction of the surroundings from the period of restoration, contains valuable examples of baroque furniture and small objects. The castle is owned by the Republic of Croatia.
Source of text and photos : https://trakoscan.hr/povijest-2/
Renewal
The renovation, in the spirit of romanticism, was carried out in the neo-Gothic style, and at the same time the entire environment was renovated – the immediate surroundings of the castle were shaped as a beautiful landscape park-forest in which an artificial lake, meadows, groups of trees and bushes and garden objects form a harmonious horticultural whole. The romantic garden is partly made of native oak and hornbeam forest, but it is also planted with various rare and exotic tree species that, especially in autumn, give it color and dynamism.
A special and recognizable feature of Trakošćan is a large romantic lake , about one and a half kilometers long and two and a half meters deep, with an area of about 17 hectares. The water heats up to 22 degrees in the summer, while in the winter the surface of the lake freezes over and stays that way for up to three months. In addition to the function of a pond, the lake also served as a decorative element common in romantic park architecture. Pedestrian paths have been arranged next to the lake itself, which turn the area into a beautiful, unique promenade .
The castle was expanded and built on several times
The castle was expanded and built on several times
An open door to the treasury of history
An open door to the treasury of history
Way of the fairies
The “Way of the Fairies” is another feature that speaks of the fairy-tale nature of this location, surrounded by beautiful nature.
Namely, it is an organized educational trail around Lake Trakošćan , which provides an insight into the natural values of the park-forest and the surrounding area. With a leisurely walk, in about two hours you can see the path in its entire length of five kilometers. There are 20 educational points on it, as well as a fisherman’s house, arranged as an info-point intended for a break during the walk.
Source of text and image: https://luckytrail.run/dvor-trakoscan-dvorac-iz-bajke-koji-morate-pojetiti/
An open door to the treasury of history
The castle was expanded and built on several times, and was significantly extended in 1592. years. Then the Draškovići build artillery towers with a roof , add a floor and more. It is being upgraded once again during the 18 century when towers get crowns, the main tower gets a lantern, and a cincture is built around the fortress. Trakošćan in its final version has a low and a high ground floor and two floors.
Submarshal Drašković restored the neglected medieval fortress as a residential castle (1850-1860) with prominent elements – an entrance tower with a drawbridge and the Drašković-Malatinski coat of arms, a knight’s hall with knight’s armor and the flags of Drašković’s banner, a rich collection of weapons, collections of books and photographs, paintings and graphics, as well as portraits of Drašković and their relatives Zrinski, the work of the painter Julijana Erdödy-Drašković, preserved palace kitchen, library and more. The park also has a chapel of St. Ivana, the so-called Januš from 1752.
The Drašković family
Since 1953 , Trakošćan is transformed from a residential castle, which the newer generations of the Drašković family used only occasionally, into a museum space with a permanent exhibition. Its rich historical contents include a valuable collection of baroque furniture and small objects. Today, the castle is owned by the Republic of Croatia.
The permanent exhibition is displayed in an ambient setting, in its original function. It presents the life of the Croatian nobility through the history of the Trakošćans and the Drašković family. Trakošćan is one of the rare buildings in Croatia with its own preserved structure, related to the architectural framework and life of its owners, i.e. the Drašković family.
Source of text and image: https://luckytrail.run/dvor-trakoscan-dvorac-iz-bajke-koji-morate-pojetiti/
