Empirej Castle

Empirej Castle is a Baroque manor house in Sveti Križ Začretje, a small town in Hrvatsko Zagorje, in Krapina-Zagorje County, about forty kilometres north of Zagreb, and it is the most important historic building in the centre of the town. It stands on a slope above the Krapina river, looking down over the compact Baroque centre, and its pale walls and tiled roof are a good example of the manor houses that the Zagorje nobility built in the eighteenth century and that still dot the countryside of the region. The name Empirej refers to the Empire style that influenced later alterations to the building.

Like many castles in the area, it passed through the hands of several noble families. The Keglević, Sermage and Vranyczany-Dobrinović families, all among the leading names of the Croatian aristocracy, are recorded among its owners, and in later times, it came under the care of another family, who managed it until the middle of the twentieth century. A manor of this kind was at once a residence, an administrative centre for a large agricultural estate and a social space where balls, hunts and visits took place. The architecture reflects those uses, with a symmetrical facade, tall windows and spacious rooms on the main floor, and a layout that can still be understood today.

The castle has been restored and given new life as a cultural and civic centre. It houses a museum devoted to heritage, culture and memory, which preserves objects and documents connected with the history of the region, along with a multifunctional cultural and business centre where exhibitions, meetings and events are held and an institute concerned with information innovation. This combination of old and new uses, with historic rooms hosting contemporary activities, is typical of recent efforts in Croatia to keep manor houses alive by making them useful to the community.

Visits are possible but are normally arranged in advance, since the building is used for various purposes and is not always open to casual visitors. It is wise to call ahead, and to ask about guided tours, which may include the museum and some of the historic rooms. The surroundings are pleasant, with a peaceful park-like setting and views over the town.

Other places in the area include a small chapel at Klupci and a wine cellar, listed in this guide, as well as a large designer outlet shopping centre on the edge of town, which is a very different kind of attraction and draws many visitors from Zagreb. The wider region of Zagorje offers castles, vineyards and pilgrimage churches within short distances. Allow an hour for the castle and the town centre. The castle suits lovers of Baroque architecture and travellers interested in the history of the Zagorje nobility.