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.
Celje is the fourth-largest city in Slovenia. It is a regional center of the traditional Slovenian region of Styria and the administrative seat of the City Municipality of Celje. The town of Celje is located below Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Hudinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna rivers in the lower Savinja Valley, and at the crossing of the roads connecting Ljubljana, Maribor, Velenje, and the Central Sava Valley. It lies 238 m (781 ft) above mean sea level (MSL).
Kranj is the third-largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 37,941 (2020). It is located approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Ljubljana. The centre of the City Municipality of Kranj and of the traditional region of Upper Carniola is a mainly industrial city with significant electronics and rubber industries.
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 centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jesenice, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kamnik, and Domžale. 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.
Ljubljana Castle is a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above downtown Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is a key landmark of the town. Originally a medieval fortress, it was probably constructed in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 12th century. It acquired its present outline with an almost complete overhaul in the 15th century, whereas the majority of the buildings date to the 16th and 17th centuries. Initially a defense structure and since the first half of the 14th century the seat of the lords of Carniola, it was since the early 19th century used for various other purposes and today is used as a major cultural venue.
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 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.
Lipnica Castle, also known as Deserted Castle above the 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.
Soteska is a settlement on the left bank of the Krka River in the Municipality of Dolenjske Toplice in Slovenia. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. Soteska includes the hamlet of Ključ southeast of the main settlement.
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.
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