Brdo Castle nearby Lukovica

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Brdo Castle stands in the settlement of Brdo near Lukovica, on a gentle elevation at the edge of the valley opening toward central Slovenia. Its location was strategically important, as it controlled the routes between Ljubljana and Celje and supported the economic development of the surrounding villages.

The castle was first mentioned in writing in the 15th century, recorded as Bedo. During the peasant revolt of 1515, it was destroyed, but soon rebuilt. The present ruins reflect the architectural design of the 16th century, when the castle was reconstructed and expanded by the Counts of Lamberg, one of the most influential noble families in Carniola.

Brdo Castle in 16th century (www.mojaslovenija.si, lastne panoramske fotografije + stare upodobitve + generativna AI(UI) )

In the centuries that followed, the castle witnessed a turbulent history. Local economic and cultural life unfolded around it, and the building was repeatedly adapted. In 1803, the estate was purchased by the notary Dr. Janez Burger, who incorporated it into his family heritage.

After his death, the castle was inherited by his daughter Ivana Burger Höffern, who remained the owner until 1879. During this period, the castle became the birthplace of one of Slovenia’s most important writers – Janko Kersnik, born in 1852. Kersnik later inherited the castle himself and owned it until his death in 1897.

Ownership then passed to his mother Berta Höffern Kersnik, and later to his son Anton Kersnik, who kept the castle until the Second World War.

In 1941, the German occupation authorities arrested the castle’s residents and deported them to Serbia. The castle was confiscated and turned into the administrative headquarters of the German police. In 1943, the building was set on fire by the resistance movement, marking the end of its active use.

After the war, the new revolutionary authorities rejected the owners’ requests to rebuild. The castle remained roofless and, for more than seventy years, has stood in ruins – a silent witness to its turbulent past, preserved today only in visual reconstructions.