Velenje Castle — Attraction in Velenje

Velenje Castle – A Scenic and Cultural Delight Velenje Castle, built in the mid-13th century, proudly rises above the Šalek Valley and the town of Velenje. Its impressive stone walls surround a well-preserved exterior and a charming inner courtyard with a historic well. Although the castle no longer houses its original furniture or interior decor, the visit is still worthwhile thanks to several engaging exhibitions and displays that explore the history of the Šalek Valley. Next to the castle, you’ll find a lovely park with a fountain and two tree-lined avenues. There are two ways to reach the castle: on foot via a staircase with approximately 233 steps, or by car. The road leads to a free, spacious parking lot right next to the castle. Both routes are steep, so be prepared for a bit of a climb. The staff is friendly, and the entrance fee for the exhibitions is very reasonable. The exterior of the castle can be visited free of charge. Highly recommended for visitors...

The castle chapel, which was newly consecrated in 2016, is located in the north-west defence tower, which was given a new role in the 17th century. The chapel, where quite a few domestic noble daughters were married, displays statues by Ferdinand Gallo, the main representative of late baroque sacral plastic art in Slovenian Styria, and a painting of Janez Nepomuk. Its author is Janez Andrej Strauss from the well-known family of Strauss painters from Slovenj Gradec. The picture, the wooden plastics and the church ornamentation were all located in the old parish church of St. George in Škale until the beginning of 1950s. The church was demolished in 1957 due to coal mining and consequential sinking of the land. Some of the items that were housed here found a new place in the...

We visited today 2/03/2023 and had a great time and informative visit mainly due to the attention of the lovely Barbara. The castle itself is beautifully restored, but having been pillaged during WW2 it has none of its original contents. Instead the local city has filled it with interesting and engaging exhibits from the local area, including how Velenje came to be, art works modern and old, music and photography and the incredible mastodon remains which were discovered locally following a landslide! And it’s very cheap, set up as a “not for profit” venture to engage and encourage tourism.

Barbara made the visit for us, taking us around the exhibits and filling in the gaps with local knowledge in perfect English. She is a credit to the...