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Planina Castle near Sevnica

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Planina Castle near Sevnica is one of the oldest medieval fortresses in Slovenia, whose location and history reveal the importance of the Kozjansko region in the Middle Ages. It stands above the market town of Planina pri Sevnici, in the Municipality of Šentjur, on the watershed ridge between the valleys of the Gračnica and the Sevnična rivers, beneath the northern slopes of Bohor. This strategic position enabled control over the pass and trade routes, while the castle also served as a defensive stronghold during frequent conflicts.

The castle’s original name was Montpreis, which in German means “mountain of reward.” The name first appeared in documents in 1190, later giving way to the name Planina Castle, after which the settlement itself was named.

The history of the castle is closely tied to the most important noble families of Styria. In the 12th century it was part of the estates of the Savinja margraves and the heiress Saint Emma. In the 13th century it was owned by the knights of Planina, vassals of the Bishopric of Krka, and later by the Ostrovrhar family of Planina. In the 14th and 15th centuries the castle passed into the hands of the Counts of Celje, who used it as one of their residences. It was here that Frederick II of Celje lived for a time with his wife Veronika Deseniška, which gives the castle a special place in Slovenian history. After the extinction of the Counts of Celje in 1456, the castle became ducal property and in the following centuries changed owners several times.

Architecturally, the castle was a mighty fortress. Its core was a palace 38 meters long and 15 meters wide, with walls up to 2.5 meters thick. On the western side it was protected by a defensive tower, while on the eastern side a chapel dedicated to St. Pancras was added in the 14th century. A distinctive feature of the castle is a wall built in the opus spicatum technique (herringbone pattern), characteristic of Romanesque construction.

The castle was deliberately abandoned in 1882. The reasons were economic and political: maintaining such a large structure had become too costly, while its role as a defensive stronghold had long since disappeared. Since then, only ruins remain, still bearing witness to its former grandeur.

Although the castle has not undergone a complete restoration, attempts at revitalization have emerged. In 2020 the architectural studio Superform prepared the project Time Machine, conceived as a conceptual renewal of the castle and its integration into the social, cultural, natural, and tourist landscape of Kozjansko. The project is sustainability-oriented and envisions connecting the local community, culture, and economy. In addition, the Municipality of Šentjur lists the castle among important cultural monuments that must be preserved, even though no major reconstruction has yet taken place. The local community of Planina pri Sevnici has restored the Way of the Cross beneath the Church of the Holy Cross, reflecting the efforts of locals to preserve the historical identity of the place and its ties to the castle grounds.

Thus, Planina Castle near Sevnica is more than just a ruin – it is a historical monument that links the natural geography of Kozjansko with the cultural heritage of medieval Styria. Its story, from Montpreis to abandonment in the 19th century, reveals how the needs, power, and fate of noble families and local communities changed over the centuries. Although today the castle lies in ruins, revitalization efforts show that its heritage still lives on and has the potential to become an important part of the cultural and tourist identity of the region.

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