Habsburg rivals
A local dynasty that rose to challenge Europe's most powerful house.
Smihael — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petar Milošević — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Melki Bes — CC BY 2.0 · Melki Bes — CC BY 2.0
The largest castle in Slovenia, on a hill above the city of Celje about eighty kilometres east of Ljubljana, and the seat of the Counts of Celje, the most powerful noble dynasty in the history of the Slovene lands. The Counts are why the place matters. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries they rose from local nobility to Princes of the Empire, marrying into the ruling houses of Hungary, Poland and Bosnia until they were direct rivals to the Habsburgs. The line ended in 1456 when its last prince was assassinated in Belgrade without an heir, and their lands passed to the Habsburgs — a decisive moment in the shaping of central Europe's map. The three stars on the coat of arms of the Republic of Slovenia today are taken from the arms of the Counts of Celje. That is not a decorative detail: a modern country chose a fifteenth-century dynasty as the source of its flag. The castle has been restored in stages, and its keep can be climbed for the view over the valley. Practical points: entry is ticketed, and the climb from the town on foot is fairly demanding, or there is a road to a car park near the top. Eighty kilometres from Ljubljana by train or car.
A local dynasty that rose to challenge Europe's most powerful house.
The last prince was killed in Belgrade in 1456 without an heir.
And its keep can be climbed for the valley view.
Above the city of Celje, eastern Slovenia
Because the Counts of Celje are the closest thing in the history of the Slovene lands to a local political power that reached European standing. Peoples without states look through their history for moments of sovereignty, and this was the clearest. The three stars passed from their arms to Slovenia's at independence in 1991.
Yes if you are staying several days and want to head east, where there are far fewer visitors. The train reaches Celje in about ninety minutes, and the castle and town centre fill a comfortable half day. With only three days, Bled, Postojna and Ljubljana itself come first.
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