Description: Many visitors come to Celje come to Stari Grad or Old Castle that watches over the city from its perch 407 metres above. I knew that eventually I would get to Celje as I spent more time in Slovenia but it was not until I actually went through the town by train en route from Maribor to Ljubljana that I spotted the castle and knew I would have to pay a visit.
Slovenes are active people and a weekend walk is a popular pastime. But when Slovenes go walking they really do go for a challenge. Older walkers are usually equipped with walking poles and the whole family usually comes along. There are three biggish climbs close to the centre of Celje, the most popular being the climb to the Old Castle. We made the ascent through the woods and came back down along the road. When walking in Slovenia it is the custom to smile and say hello to everyone you meet and since the whole town is out walking that mounts up to a lot of "Dober dans".
The earliest section of the castle dates from the first half of the thirteenth century and there have been further additions in the Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance styles. The castle was at one time the largest fortress complex in Slovenia containing a whole community within its walls. The castle fell into disuse in the eighteenth century and rebuilding has been going on since the end of the nineteenth century.
Visitors can now wander around the walls and take in the tremendous views stretching out first over tree covered hills to the snow capped peaks in the distance. At present the reconstructed main tower - Fredericks Tower cannot be climbed but this may happen in the future.
Admission to the castle is free and there is limited car parking if you come by road. Further parking spaces are available at intervals on the winding road up to the castle. A refreshment kiosk is open during summer only and some seating has been installed in one of the courtyards for musical performances in summer.
A trip to the castle is really about enjoying the climb – whether a leisurely stroll by way of the road or a more strenuous ascent by the wooded trail. Perhaps when some more work has been done it will be possible to take a tour and learn more about the construction and the history but at the present the highlight of a visit is the selection of views from various parts of the promontory. On a clear winter’s day you can see right out to the snow covered peaks of Zreče but even the views over to the city centre with the Old Town beside the river are pretty good too.
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