10 Reasons You Must Visit Slovenia
8. Castles That May Or May Not Be Disney Castles
As soon as I finished typing that title I drew a blank regarding castles in Disney, but you get the idea. Castles are supposed to be one of two things; dramatic or ruined. Luckily for the less morbid among us, Slovenia does a great line in dramatic castles. The one pictured above is at Lake Bled, making for one of the most dramatic scenes in the country. You may notice I'm using the word 'dramatic' a lot here, and I'd like to make clear that this is 'dramatic' in an awesome storm sort of manner, not in a Hollyoaks sort of way.
The castles in the country are hundreds and hundreds of years old, and many have been beautifully restored to something approaching their former glory after they were sort of ruined after World War Two. Driving through the country seems to be something of a castle bingo, as you tick off the mansions you can see sitting pretty on hills off in the distance. Want a castle jutting out the side of a mountain? Head to Predjama Castle. Want the former home of Slovenia's most powerful historical family? Celje Castle mate. How about a pretty incredible collection of taxidermy? Then Snežnik is bound to be your bag. Heck, if you happen to be looking for one of the biggest collections of African art on the continent, you'll be surprised to know you're in luck. Don't believe me? Head to Velenje Castle.
Ask any local what their town has to offer to tourists, and the chances are they'll reply with some gushing words about their castle. The chances are they'll be right in doing so.