Last updated Kieselstein Castle in a 1679 engraving by ValvasorKieselstein Castle in 2014
Kieselstein Castle, also known as Khislstein, (Slovene: Grad Kieselstein / Khislstein) is a 13th-century castle in the city of Kranj, in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.
The castle stands at what was once a defensible point, guarding the city pier and crossing over the river Sava, and was predated on the site by a round 11th-century keep. The current structure was built in 1256 by the Counts of Ortenburg, by an arrangement with the lord of Kranj, Ulrich III, Duke of Carinthia. Until 1420, the tower was managed by their ministeriales or vassals, the knights von Chreinburch; in that year, it passed to Count Hermann II of Celje. During the period of Turkish incursions, the tower was incorporated into the city walls. After the extinction of the Counts of Celje in 1456, it was inherited by the Habsburgs, who sold it in the mid 16th century to Baron Hans Khiessl. Khiessl successfully petitioned Emperor Ferdinand I for the right to rename the castle after himself, and also expanded the tower into an L-shaped castle, giving it its present appearance.
The Khiessls soon sold the castle to Franz von Moscon; later owners included the Ravbar, Apfaltrer, Auersperg and finally Natalis Pagliaruzzi noble families. In 1913 the castle was purchased by the state. Between the world wars, it housed government offices; after World War II it was (somewhat redundantly) nationalized. In 1952, the building was renovated according to plans drawn up by the architectJože Plečnik.
Today the renovated building houses the Kranj Municipal Agency for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage, as well as the Upper Carniola Museum.
Kranj is the fourth-largest city in Slovenia and the largest town and urban center of the traditional region of Upper Carniola and the Slovene Alps. It is located approximately 20 kilometres northwest of the national capital Ljubljana, acting as the seat of the City Municipality of Kranj.
Brdo Castle near Kranj, usually simply Brdo Castle, is an estate and a mansion in the Slovenian region of Upper Carniola west of the village of Predoslje, City Municipality of Kranj, northwest of Ljubljana. It is the Slovenian government's main venue for diplomatic meetings and other government-sponsored events.
Upper Carniola is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The largest town in the region is Kranj, and other urban centers include Kamnik, Jesenice, Domžale and Škofja Loka. It has around 300,000 inhabitants or 14% of the population of Slovenia.
Bled Castle is a medieval castle built on a precipice above the city of Bled in Slovenia, overlooking Lake Bled. According to written sources, it is the oldest Slovenian castle and is currently one of the most visited tourist attractions in Slovenia. Nowadays, the castle is employed as a historical museum with a collection that represents the lake's history.
Samobor Castle is a ruined castle atop of Tepec hill in Samobor, Croatia. It lies only a 10-minute walk away from the city centre. Remains of the old castle moat are still visible, as well as the massive entrance and most of the walls.
Tivoli Castle, originally called Podturn Manor, is a mansion in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
Celje Castle, also known as Celje Upper Castle or Old Castle, is a castle ruin in Celje, Slovenia, formerly the seat of the Counts of Celje. It stands on three hills to the southeast of Celje, where the river Savinja meanders into the Laško valley. Today, the castle is in the process of being restored. It was once the largest fortification on Slovenian territory.
Turn Castle is a castle near the village of Potoče in the Municipality of Preddvor in the Upper Carniolan region of Slovenia.
The Finžgar House is a house in the village of Doslovče in the Municipality of Žirovnica in Slovenia. It is the house where the Slovene writer Fran Saleški Finžgar was born in 1871. Administratively, it is part of the Upper Carniola Museum from Kranj. As well as a museum about the writer, it is a museum of rural architecture and life in the Upper Carniola during the late 19th century. It is outfitted with original furniture from the period, some from the actual house and some gathered from elsewhere.
The Kos Manor is a 16th-century manor house located in the Murova neighborhood of the town of Jesenice, Slovenia, at the street address of Cesta maršala Tita 64. It is one of four so-called "ironworks castles" built in the area during the 16th and early 17th centuries by owners of local iron-mining and -processing facilities, in what were then the clustered settlements of Plavž, Sava, Murova and Javornik, amalgamated into the town of Jesenice in 1929. The Bucellini-Ruard Manor in Sava is another survivor of the original four; the Plavž and Javornik manors have been torn down.
Strmol Mansion is a 15th-century manorhouse located on a low hill above the old town center of Rogatec, Slovenia. It is notable as one of the few castles in Slovenia to have retained a Slovene name throughout its history.
Turjak Castle is a 13th-century castle located above the settlement of Turjak, part of the municipality of Velike Lašče in the Lower Carniola region of Slovenia. The castle is 20 km southeast of Ljubljana and is considered among the most impressive in the area.
Slovenska Bistrica Castle, also known as Bistrica Castle, is a Renaissance-Baroque palace outside the town of Slovenska Bistrica in northeastern Slovenia. Its name derives from the Slovene word bistra 'clear'.
Lipnica Castle, also known as Deserted Castle above Lipnica, is a castle ruin near the settlement of Zgornja Lipnica in Upper Carniola, above Lipnica Creek, in the Municipality of Radovljica.
Kostel Castle is a castle above the settlement of Kostel in southeastern Slovenia. It is located on a steep hill above the Kolpa River, not far from the Croatian border.
Sommeregg is a medieval castle near Seeboden in the Austrian state of Carinthia, Austria. It is situated in the foothills of the Nock Mountains at an altitude of 749 m.
Bogenšperk Castle is a 16th-century castle located in the Municipality of Šmartno pri Litiji in central Slovenia. It is best known for its association with the 17th-century scientist and natural historian Johann Weikhard von Valvasor, a fellow of the Royal Society in London.
Leskovec Castle or Turn Castle is a 15th-century castle north of the village of Leskovec pri Krškem, southeastern Slovenia. It has been redesigned in the 16th and the 18th centuries.
Polhov Gradec Castle is a castle ruin above the settlement of Polhov Gradec, in the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec in central Slovenia. It is located on Calvary Hill immediately northwest of the town center.
Belnek is a former settlement in the Municipality of Moravče in central Slovenia. It is now part of the village of Drtija. The area is part of the traditional region of Upper Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
