Snežnik Castle – the festivals, bears and wedding ceremonies

When you travel around Slovenia, you might notice many castles and manor houses scattered around the area. In the past, the number got to a few hundred. Unfortunately, many of these are ruins nowadays. Not to worry, several of these castles are still here, and many of them should be on your list when visiting Slovenia, such as Predjama Castle, a wonderful cave castle, or Celje Castle with a great history of the Counts of Celje. A castle that should make it to this list as well is Snežnik Castle (“Grad Snežnik”). It is one of the few castles in Slovenia where the inventory of the last owners, that dates back to the 19th century, has been fully preserved. This even includes a 100-year-old bear trophy that still decorates the house. The whole collection, including the hunting trophies, forms an interesting exhibition and no wonder this unique building is a popular venue for wedding ceremonies and festivals.

Snežnik – what a funny name

The name Snežnik suggests to have something in common with snow or to be in any other way connected to the same-named karst limestone plateau Snežnik, located only a few kilometers to the south and therefore a popular hiking trip from Snežnik Castle. On the contrary, Snežnik Castle got its name after the noble house Schneberg, who initially possessed the castle.

This 13th-century castle is located in the south of Slovenia and is offering an insight into a life of a noble family from the 19th century, by presenting all the furnishings and everyday objects of this, at the time, hunting and summer residence. Some of the fascinating exhibits are four Roman tombstones that are built into the castle wall and date back to the 1st century, as well as the German Protestant Bible from 1735, and a large map of Carniola, printed as early as 1744. Another interesting exhibit is the Egyptian room from the early 20th century, a great example of Egyptomania on the Slovene territory.

Floating Castle Festival

For all of you who cannot get enough of musical events and excitement, there is the Floating Castle Festival (“Festival plavajoči grad”) coming up at Snežnik Castle. This festival of ethno music takes place from 26. – 28. July 2018 and is featuring a wide variety of musical experiences from all over the world, powered by local and international artists. More than 100 groups will take you to the great cultural experience at the venues of Snežnik Castle and its surroundings. For 15 euros, what the 3-day pass costs, you will be able to enjoy a great variety of performances, from a circus to street theatre and film screenings, acrobats and various exhibitors, all that accompanied by the local food and home-made crafts.

Floating Castle Festival, Slovenia

Kozarišče 67, 1386 Stari trg pri Ložu, Slovenia

Visiting Snežnik Castle is a great idea at any time of the year. A large pond below the castle and idyllic surroundings, formed into a beautiful park with several avenues and viewing terraces, are perfect for some time out. Seeing an interesting exhibition inside the castle takes you a few centuries back in time when the bear hunting was still an exciting hobby. Whether you are coming for a festival, wedding ceremony or relaxation, the visit will pay off for sure.

Snežnik Castle

Kozarišče 67, 1386 Stari trg pri Ložu, Slovenia