Samobor Castle: the ruined hilltop fortress above Samobor
Samobor Castle (Stari grad Samobor) is a ruined fortress on Tepec hill, only about a 10-minute walk from the centre of Samobor in north-western Croatia. The massive gateway, most of the walls and traces of the old moat still stand. It is a protected cultural monument and a pleasant hidden-gem outing for anyone interested in castles in Croatia.
Samobor Castle began as an outpost of a Bohemian king's supporters, fighting a Hungarian king in the 1260s. Today it is a quiet ruin that the town bought in 1902 and turned into a picnic spot.
The history of Samobor Castle
The castle was built on a hill above a crossroads of what were then important routes in the north-western corner of the Sava valley, overlooking the medieval market town of Samobor. Between 1260 and 1264 supporters of the Czech king Ottokar II of Bohemia raised it, at a time when Ottokar was at war with the Hungarian king Stephen V. Soon afterwards Croatian-Hungarian forces led by the duke of Okić retook it, and as a reward he was given the town of Samobor and the right to collect local taxes.
The first fortress was built of stone on living rock, with an irregular, indented plan in three parts. The central core is the oldest. In its south-eastern part stands a high guard tower, now in ruins and the only substantial surviving piece of the original Ottokar castle. Next to it is a semicircular tower with a small Gothic chapel of St Ana, dated to the 1520s. Later builders added a palace in the 15th and 16th centuries, two battery towers and a lower ward with a pentagonal bastion.
From the 1520s the castle was reshaped. The core was expanded northwards into an elongated trapezoidal courtyard surrounded by a strong defensive wall, with pentagonal towers at its ends. During the 17th and 18th centuries it was extended and rebuilt. The last building to go up inside was a three-storey house on the southern side, whose courtyard facades are divided by porches with Tuscan columns. The fortress thus lost its military role and gradually became a baroque country house. The last residents left at the end of the 18th century, and decay began.
The first known owners were the Babonić family, followed by the Hungarian-Croatian kings. In the 15th century the castle passed to the Counts of Celje and in the early 16th century to the Frankopan family. Many owners followed, among them the Tržac, Tahy, Auersperg and Kiepach families; the last to actually live in it were the Counts Erdödy-Kulmer. In 1902 the municipality of Samobor bought the castle from the Montecuccoli family, and since then it and its surroundings have served as an excursion spot.
Today it is a picturesque ruin above the Vugrinščak creek. A restoration project exists, but so far only the chapel walls have been renovated, using stone from the collapsed parts of the fortress, cement and slaked lime. The castle is registered as a protected cultural monument under the number Z-3834.
Curiosities about Samobor Castle
- The castle was founded by supporters of King Ottokar II of Bohemia between 1260 and 1264, during his war with King Stephen V of Hungary.
- The duke of Okić, who retook it for the Croatian-Hungarian side, was rewarded with the town of Samobor and the right to collect local taxes.
- The ruined guard tower is the only substantial survivor of Ottokar's original castle.
- A small Gothic chapel of St Ana, from the 1520s, sits in a semicircular tower beside it.
- Over the centuries the fortress was turned into a baroque country house with Tuscan-columned porches before being abandoned at the end of the 18th century.
- In 1902 the municipality bought it, and it has since served as a local picnic place.
Tours near Samobor Castle
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Samobor Castle
- The castle is about a 10-minute walk from the centre of Samobor, up Tepec hill.
- You can still see remains of the old moat, the massive entrance and most of the walls.
- Look for the guard tower, the semicircular tower with the small chapel of St Ana and the pentagonal tower.
- Okić, another castle, lies about 6 km away, and Susedgrad and Medvedgrad are further off, so the castle fits into a day of exploring forts near Zagreb.
- The sources do not say whether the interior can be entered or when; check locally and the current opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Samobor Castle is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Samobor Castle
Questions
Where is Samobor Castle and how do you get there?
It stands on Tepec hill above the town of Samobor and is about a 10-minute walk from the town centre.
How old is Samobor Castle?
It was first built between 1260 and 1264 by supporters of King Ottokar II of Bohemia, and it was extended and rebuilt through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Who owned Samobor Castle?
Owners included the Babonić family, the Counts of Celje, the Frankopan family and the Erdödy-Kulmer counts. The municipality bought it from the Montecuccoli family in 1902.
What can you see at Samobor Castle?
Remains of the moat, the massive entrance, most of the walls, the guard tower and the small Gothic chapel of St Ana.
Has Samobor Castle been restored?
Only partly. A restoration project exists, but so far only the chapel walls have been renovated.
Is Samobor Castle a protected monument?
Yes. It is registered as a protected cultural monument under the number Z-3834.
Also nearby
Okić Castle
Okić · medieval hilltop ruin above Samobor
5.5 km away
Susedgrad Castle
Podsused · ruined hilltop castle on the edge of Zagreb
11 km away
Medvedgrad
Medvedgrad · 13th-century castle with a view over Zagreb
20 km away
Kockica
Zagreb · 1968 modernist cube with rich interior art
21 km away