Hrastovec Castle

Hrastovec castle is one of the largest preserved castles in Slovenia. Today’s building dates back to the middle of the 15th century, when the estate was taken over by the Herberstein family, who owned the castle until the Second World War. The castle, which is decorated with individual renaissance architectural elements, was given the appearance of a luxurious baroque castle in the 17th century, according to the plans of the architect Domenico Della Tora. Inside, there is a richly designed baroque staircase and a baroque knight’s hall, where on the walls are images of mythological and genre scenes and motifs of classicist landscapes. In the ceremonial hall, on the ceiling of the former castle corridor, in the castle chapel and on the staircase, there are high-quality baroque stuccoes from the first half of the 18th century. After the war, the castle was used as a concentration camp for people who did not sympathize with the new government, under the castle there is also a burial ground in the ponds of 19 Lenart residents who were killed in May 1945. Today, the Social Welfare Institute Hrastovec operates in the castle.