Ten most beautiful Croatian castles
The cultural heritage of Croatia consists of dozens of castles and hundreds of forts and summer houses. Most of them were built in the Middle Ages. Some of them today have been converted into museums and open to the public, while others are converted into hospitals. Among the Croatian castles there is also a hotel as well as a home for the elderly. Some, unfortunately, are still waiting for the restoration. Still, it is impressive just to walk past them.

TRAKOŠĆAN CASTLE
The most visited and most attractive Croatian castle is Trakošćan. In the 14th century, when it was built, it was a small medieval fortification, and the Drašković family converted it into a residential mansion in the 19th century. Trakošćan is located 40 kilometres from Varaždin, and today is one of the favourite Croatian museums.

VELIKI TABOR CASTLE
One of the best preserved medieval and Renaissance fortified towns of Croatia is Veliki Tabor. The name "Tabor" means a war camp that was raised in defence of the Turks. This castle was built by the Ratkaj family, and its history is still intertwined with the legend. One of them speaks of a beautiful Veronica Desinić, who, due to forbidden love remained stonewalled in the rock of the salon.

OZALJ CASTLE
The old Ozalj town is located on a cliff above the river Kupa. The first mention of its roots dates back to the 13th century and it is mainly associated with the noble families of Zrinski and Frankopan. The castle was restored in the 18th century. Today, Ozalj Castle is open to the public.

PEJAČEVIĆ CASTLE
In the town park of Našice, the Pejačević castle was erected in the early 19th century. It was raised by the family Pejačević whose generations lived within these walls until the Second World War, when this family left Našice and Croatia. Along with the large, there is also a smaller, ground floor mansion, and both are open to the public today.

MAILATH CASTLE
This fairytale architectural material is located in Donji Miholjac. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century for the Hungarian family Mailáth. The castle is well preserved and is rich in details. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public.

ORŠIĆ CASTLE
The Baroque castle in Gornja Bistra was built from 1770 to 1775 for the Count of Krsto II Oršić, a county prefect of Zagreb County. The exquisite castle is today a hospital for chronic diseases of children. But another Oršić family castle, the one in the nearby Gornja Stubica, is open to the public. It is the Museum of Peasant Revolts.

KLENOVNIK CASTLE
One of the largest Croatian castles lies on the slopes of Ravna gora. The Drašković family built it in the 19th century and it originally had 90 rooms and 365 windows. In the middle of the 19th century, the family sold it to get money for the restoration of Trakošćan castle. Today there is a hospital for lung diseases.

ERDÖDY CASTLE
Ban Matija Gereb raised the castle in Jastrebarsko in the 15th century, and it became the property of the noble family Erdödy in the next century. The objects and furniture from the castle can be seen in the Jastrebarsko City Museum, but the castle itself is not open to the public. Still, it is a stunning experience to walk around the English park that surrounds it.

BEŽANEC CASTLE
On the hill near Valentinovo, near the village of Pregrada, stands the Bežanec castle, surrounded by the eponymous garden. It was built at the end of the 17th century for the Keglević family, and today it is converted into a hotel.

LOBOR CASTLE
Another 17th-century Keglević castle is located not far from Zlatar. The last descendant of the family, Count Oskar Keglević, sold him in 1905 and moved to Zagreb. After that, the owners changed, and today there is a home for the elderly.