Trakošćan Castle Park and Gardens

Trakošćan Castle Park and Gardens form the landscaped setting of Trakošćan Castle, one of the best-known castles in northern Croatia, in the hills of Hrvatsko Zagorje near the Slovenian border in Varaždin County. The park surrounds the castle on every side and descends to a small lake, and it is as much a part of the experience as the building on its hill.

The castle itself has a long history. A defensive fortress was founded here in the Middle Ages to guard the routes between the region and the lands to the north, and over the centuries it passed through several noble families. Its name appears in documents from the fourteenth century, and its origins probably go back further. The decisive family were the Draškovićs, one of the great Croatian noble houses, who owned it from the sixteenth century into the twentieth. In the nineteenth century, one of them, Juraj Drašković, remade the castle in the romantic neo-Gothic style, giving it the turrets, crenellations and pointed windows that make it look like a castle from a storybook. The medieval fortress became a Renaissance residence and then a romantic ideal, and today it is a museum with furniture, portraits, weapons and a knights’ hall.

The park was shaped in the same period and in the same spirit. It follows the English landscape tradition, in which nature is arranged to look natural, with winding paths, open lawns, groups of trees and carefully chosen views. Old trees of many species stand on the slopes, among them oaks, beeches and exotic species brought from other regions, and the paths lead to viewpoints where the castle appears across the lake, framed by foliage. The artificial lake, Lake Trakošćan, was created to enhance the picture, and a path around its shore takes about an hour at an easy pace. Walking it is the best way to see the changing views. Rowing boats and pedal boats can be hired in season, and the water reflects the castle on calm days, which gives photographers their classic image.

A visit works best as a morning or afternoon in two parts, with the castle interior first and the park and lake afterwards. The grounds are pleasant for picnics, and cafés near the lake serve drinks and snacks. The castle’s opening hours vary through the year, so check before travelling, and winter visits have a quiet, misty charm of their own.

The park suits families, photographers and anyone who enjoys castles with a good setting. Spring blossom and autumn colour are the best seasons, and weekdays are quieter than weekends.