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Bargain Travel Europe guide to Europe on a budget for unusual destinations,
holiday travel tips and secret spots missed by travel tours.

 



VELIKI TABOR CASTLE
Tragic Love Story of Zagorje

Veliki Tabor Castle hill photoStanding atop a low rising tree covered hill in Zagorje, the Veliki Tabor castle is one of the most impressive late medieval fortress castles in Croatia, a medieval ring tower structure surrounded by farms and wine vineyards. Closed for renovation for almost 3 years, Veliki Tabor re-opens to the public in 2011. Dates for the building of castle are a little unclear and it may have been built on the site of a fort from Roman times. The earliest walls and foundations at Veliki Tabor are from the 12th Century, but the current form of the castle with its pentagonal tower and walled inner baily date from the beginning of the 16th Century.

Veliki Tabor Castle Tower photoThe Veliki Tabor castle was owned for much of its existence by the Rattkay (Ratkaj) family from Hungary, granted estates in Croatia by the Viceroy Johannes Corvinus. The master builders of Veliki Tabor castle remain unknown. The oldest part of the castle is the central tower keep, originally a self-standing two story structure used as a dwelling and defensive fort. A triangular wall was added with a vantage point over the slope of the hill for better defense. In 1537 a third story was added to the tower keep, used as a granary, and the ground floor used as a winery, while two floors used for living quarters.

Veliki Tabor Arches and Clock photoA fortification ring with four defensive towers were built in two phases in the mid-16th Century along with the fortified entrance gate. In the 17th Century the upper floor of the tower and other spaces were converted to residential palace use. A mill, a chapel and a chaplain’s apartment are located in the eastern tower. The walkways are lined with Renaissance Italianate arches and red tiled roofs and the towers feature unique openings called Czech windows. Later additions and renovations were added in the Baroque period of the 18th Century, until the last of the ruling family died out in 1793.

Interior Room Tile Furnace Veliki Tabor photoThe castle of Veliki Tabor houses a museum which takes up most of its floors, displaying cultural items, early medicinal cures, antique weapons, armor and pottery. Notable are fireplaces and furnaces on the floors from different periods of the castle’s life. The upper floors contain bedroom furnishings from the Renaissance period, all moved to the castle from elsewhere. The castle was owned for a time in 1930s by the Croatian Painter Oton Ivekovic until the Second World War and after 1945, housed war orphans cared for by nuns.

Tragic Veronica of Desinic

Bedroom Beds Residential Chamber V Veliki Tabor photoThe more interesting legend of the castle is the romantic tragedy Veronica of Desinic. During excavations at the castle in the 1980s, the skull of a woman was discovered in the castle. A legend of the 15th Century tells of the powerful Croatian ban, count Herman II of Celje, whose son Frederick fell in love with a peasant beauty of the village of Desinic at the foot of the castle. Frederick already married to the daughter of a powerful family, but divorced his wife to elope with the girl. They were married in the family hunting lodge of Friedrichstein in Slovenia, near Kocevje, but the old man, threatened by the collapse of his alliance with the family his son's wife, refused to recognize the marriage and sent his soldiers to find the lovers and bring them back to Croatia. He walled his son prisoner in a castle room until he would disavow his love for Veronica, but Frederick kept his promise to her for four years of captivity.

Museum Veliki Tabor photoFinally, as a last resort, Herman had the object of his son’s ardor tried as a witch. A trial court of nobles found her innocent of the charge, her only crime being in love with his son, but the old man would not be refused and applied the old test of witchcraft, dunking her into water – if she floated to the top she was a witch, if she sank, she was innocent. Thrust head first into a large tub of water, she drowned - proved innocent of witchcraft, but dead. The skull is held in the chapel of the castle. Although there is nothing to prove it is actually that of Veronica of Desinic, it makes for a good story.

Visiting Veliki Tabor

Veliki Tabor Castle is located in Krapina-Zagorje just above the little village of Desinic, about 30 miles from Zagreb. If previous operations are an indication - opening hours will be 10am to 6pm April to October and 9am to 5pm October to April. Falconry shows and medieval recreations are held at the castle in summer months. © Bargain Travel Europe

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Veliki Tabor

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SEE ALSO:

HOTEL CASTLE GJALSKI - ZAGORJE

DURDEVAC CASTLE - CROATIA

LUZNICA CASTLE – CONVENT ACCOMMODATIONS

TRAKOSCAN CASTLE - ZAGORJE

ZAGREB CATHEDRAL