Royal Hunting Lodge in Kamniška Bistrica (1932–33)
In the period 1932–33, architect Jože Plečnik designed plans for a hunting lodge in Kamniška Bistrica, commissioned by Yugoslav King Alexander. The architecture of the building consists of a ground floor with a stone-clad façade, a first-floor façade made of wooden planks, and a gabled roof.
The hallway of both the ground floor and first floor, connecting the north-facing rooms, occupies the full length of the building. On the ground floor there were a room next to the kitchen, the kitchen itself, a dining room, and a guest room. Two separate staircases lead to the first floor. The upper floor contains four rooms and a bathroom. The hunting lodge was completed in 1934. Later that same year, on 8 October 1934 in Marseille, France, King Alexander—the commissioner of the lodge—was assassinated.
After World War II, the hunting lodge was nationalized and became a protocol facility managed by the Kozorog Game Breeding Institute. The lodge became a starting point for hunting expeditions of Yugoslav political leaders. It was also used by Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito, which is why it gained the popular nickname “Tito’s Palace.”
Political elites visited the lodge for hunting and leisure.
In 1988, the lodge was leased and renovated by the Stol company from Kamnik.
Literature
Hrausky A., Koželj J., Prelovšek D., Plečnikova Slovenija: Vodnik po arhitekturi. Ljubljana, 1997.
Kočar T. Kamniška Bistrica, Bistriški Gozd. Ljubljana, 2003.