Trakošćan – Croatia’s Most Visited Castle Gets Improved

A new 3-mile long educational trail and restored cottage opens today at one of Croatia’s most impressive castles…

With over 100,000 visitors annually, the 13th century Trakošćan castle, located in northern Croatia in the Varaždin County, is Croatia’s most visited castle.

Trakošćan castle is one of the best preserved historic buildings in the country and is the only castle which has not had the interior changed from the original owner. Now owned by the Croatian state, Trakošćan was built as a rather small observation fortress for monitoring the road from Ptuj to Bednja Valley and owned by the Drašković family.

Inside the castle (photo: Tim Ertl)

From today Trakošćan and the surrounding forest park has twenty new focal points thanks to more than 100,000 euros worth of investment. A restored tourist cottage and a 3-mile long educational trail opens today to help grow the number of tourists to the castle and to continental Croatia.

The castle has been a favourite tourist destination over the years for mainly large numbers of German and Austria tourists, but recently it is the Japanese who have taken a shine to continental tourism.
“The Japanese are coming (to Trakošćan) to renew their wedding vows in the chapel here, and the Chinese especially, whose purchasing power is greater. They are delighted by the location and most come after finding us on the internet, we have an interesting website which attracts them here,” says Adam Pintarić from Trakošćan castle.

“It is relatively cheap. 500 kuna (65 EUR) is rental of the chapel, and a photographer costs 1,000 kuna (130 EUR). Those are the main costs, expect also the reception, that is when costs rise.” he said.

(main photo / Trakošćan.hr)