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The fort Cesargrad

  • The fort Cesargrad

Remnants of a medieval fortress from the 14th century still proudly rise today on the western side of Cesarska Gora, above the river Sutla valley and the town of Klanjec. And Hrvatsko Zagorje can showcase another gem which has been declared a protected cultural object. It is of note that on the other side of the Sutla river on Bizeljska Gora, at the same altitude, still lie the remnants of the Königsberg fortress which is attributed to the same builders.

Historical sources mention that it was the Templars who built the Cesargrad Fortress. The Order of the Knights Templar was disbanded in 1312. Their property being given out to other orders or it became the property of the Crown.

The building was first mentioned in 1399 in a charter of King Sigismund, which states that it was a gift to count Herman II, Count of Celje. Cesargrad came under the jurisdiction of the royal crown in 1456.

During the Croatian–Slovene Peasant Revolt of 1573, the fortress was pillaged and set on fire. It stood long abandoned and was partially renovated by the Erdödy noble house. However, when Tamás Erdődy, a nobleman and Croatian ban, built the castle of Novi Dvori close to Klanjec in 1603, nobles from the Erdődy family left Cesargrad and moved to a court more befitting their status.

The structure of the fortress comprises a semi-circular stone building surrounded by walls and a guard tower. A part of the fortress was intended to be inhabited. Archaeological digs from 2008 and 2010 confirmed the potential of Cesargrad and documenting its current state began. Analysing the architecture of the western rook, they defined the position of the kitchen, residential spaces on the upper floors and storage areas on the ground floor. In 2018, the renovation of the fortress started backed by the Ministry of Culture, the Department for Conservation in Krapina, the Klanjec branch of Matica Hrvatska and the town of Klanjec.

Cesargrad Fortress is an must-see for any visitor travelling through Hrvatsko Zagorje. From Cesargrad Fortress, one can take in a beautiful view of Ivančica Mountain and neighbouring Slovenia.

Virtual walk:  Cesargrad – Google karte