Susedgrad Castle: the medieval ruin on Zagreb's western edge
Susedgrad Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on the far-western hill of Mount Medvednica, at the western edge of Zagreb. It once watched over an important crossroads near the confluence of the Krapina and the Sava and gave the neighbourhood of Podsused its name. Today a forest park surrounds the ruins, which can be reached by city bus or suburban train.
A medieval castle ruin stands inside the Zagreb city limits, yet few visitors know it. Beneath its walls in July 1565 an army of local peasants routed the forces of the Croatian ban.
The history of Susedgrad Castle
Archaeological and palaeontological finds suggest that the hill was settled in antiquity, and nearby quarries are believed to date from the same era. A 9th-century warrior's grave with an iron sword was found in the area. The castle itself is thought to have been built in the second half of the 13th century, when it appears to have belonged to the Cistercian order; written sources from 1287 and 1299 point to this. A charter of 1316 names it as the property of King Charles I of Hungary.
It stayed in royal hands until 1345, when King Louis the Great gave it to Nikola Toth, who had supported him in his wars. The castle became the centre of the Susedgrad-Stubica estate. When the Toth line died out, the estate passed in 1439 to the Henning family by marriage. After the Hennings died out in 1502, several claimants disputed the inheritance, and the emperor eventually divided the estate between Andrew Teuffenbach, who took the Henning name, and Andras Bathory. Around 1530, as the Ottoman threat grew, the castle was fortified and well equipped.
In the 1560s a quarrel turned violent. Ferenc Tahy bought out Bathory's rights, but Ursula Meknitzer, the widow of Teuffenbach-Henning, refused to accept him as owner. In 1565 she gathered some 800 local peasants and drove Tahy's family out; when the ban Petar Erdody marched to punish her, an army of about 3,000 peasants defeated his forces in the Battle of Susedgrad in July. Tahy later returned and took revenge on the peasants, and the great peasant revolt of 1573 broke out beneath the castle walls. Tahy died that same year, and in 1574 the Hennings bought back his share.
Later owners included the Mlakovečki family. A violent earthquake shook the castle in 1590, and early in the 17th century it burnt down. It was abandoned and left to decay, mainly because it had lost its strategic importance as Ottoman raids diminished and methods of warfare changed. In the 19th century the ruin passed to Ban Josip Jelačić. In the 1930s a park-forest with paths, benches and arbours was planned around it. The remains were badly damaged in the 2020 Zagreb earthquake, and according to the sources, disagreement over land ownership and financing has so far held up any restoration.
Curiosities about Susedgrad Castle
- The neighbourhood of Podsused takes its name from the castle: the word means literally “under Sused”.
- Late in the 20th century the name Susedgrad was also used for a city municipality, dissolved in the 1999 reform and now divided between the Podsused-Vrapče and Stenjevec districts.
- In July 1565 a peasant army of some 3,000 defeated the forces of the Croatian ban in the Battle of Susedgrad.
- Stone and ceramic finds from the castle, mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries, are kept in the Croatian History Museum.
- The introduced tree Robinia pseudoacacia has colonised the ruins and is speeding up their erosion.
- The forest park around the castle shelters native plants such as yew (Taxus baccata) and Cyclamen purpurascens, both classed as threatened or near threatened.
Tours near Susedgrad Castle
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Susedgrad Castle
- Photographs show what remains: stretches of castle wall, a well inside the ruins and a gun loophole in the masonry.
- A forest park laid out in the 1930s surrounds the ruins; the mountain hut built there is now neglected.
- Bus 123 from the Črnomerec terminal stops at “(Aleja) Seljačke bune”, closest to the ruins. From the centre of Podsused it is about a five-minute extra walk, and Podsused is served by several bus lines and by suburban trains from the city centre.
- The ruins were damaged in the 2020 earthquake and have not been restored, so take care and respect any warnings on site.
- Medvedgrad and Samobor Castle, also covered in this guide, lie about 10 to 11 km away.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Susedgrad Castle is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Susedgrad Castle
Questions
Where is Susedgrad Castle and how do you get there?
It stands in Podsused, at the western edge of Zagreb. ZET bus 123 from Črnomerec stops at “(Aleja) Seljačke bune”, and Podsused is also reached by other bus lines and suburban trains.
What is Susedgrad Castle?
It is a ruined medieval fortress on the far-western hill of Mount Medvednica. It once controlled an important crossroads and was the centre of the Susedgrad-Stubica estate.
What happened at Susedgrad in 1565?
During a dispute over the estate, a peasant army raised by Ursula Meknitzer Henning defeated the forces of the Croatian ban Petar Erdody in the Battle of Susedgrad in July 1565.
Why was Susedgrad abandoned?
The castle burnt down early in the 17th century and was left to ruin, mainly because it had lost its strategic importance as the Ottoman threat declined.
Is Susedgrad Castle restored?
No. The ruins were significantly damaged in the 2020 Zagreb earthquake, and disagreement over land ownership and financing has so far stopped any restoration.
Which other sights are near Susedgrad?
Medvedgrad, Samobor Castle and Lotrščak Tower are the nearest other places in this guide, about 10 to 11 km away.
Also nearby
Medvedgrad
Medvedgrad · 13th-century castle with a view over Zagreb
10 km away
Samobor Castle
Samobor · medieval castle ruin on Tepec hill, a short walk from town
11 km away
Well of Life
Zagreb · Meštrović's circle of bronze figures around a well
11 km away
Lotrščak Tower
Zagreb · medieval tower, thieves' bell and daily noon cannon
11 km away