Trakoscan Castle

Trakošćan Castle is the romantic castle of the Croatian Zagorje, a 19th-century neo-Gothic rebuild of a much older stronghold, set on a hill above an artificial lake and surrounded by parkland. It is the most visited castle in the country, and it reads exactly as a Central European schloss should, towers, forest and a still reflection in the water below.

The castle’s origins go back to the 13th century, but its present look is the work of the Drašković family, who rebuilt it in the 1850s as a residence and filled it with period furniture, weapons, portraits and a library. When the family left in the 20th century the interior was kept largely intact, so the museum today is a genuine walk through a 19th-century aristocratic home rather than a reconstruction.

Trakošćan sits in the far north of Croatia, close to the Slovenian border, about an hour and a half from Zagreb. The lake has a walking path around it, and there is a park with mature trees that frames the castle from every angle.

For photographers, the reflection of the castle in the lake is the classic image, best in calm early light. Allow time for the interior, the furnished rooms are the substance of the visit, and pair it with Veliki Tabor for a full Zagorje castle day.

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