About Brdo Castle

Throughout its long history, Brdo Castle has been frequented by history-makers - nobles, kings and, later, presidents - and yet has retained the quiet beauty and profound tranquility of its sub-Alpine setting.

Brdo Castle is a Renaissance-style fortified palace with two corner towers and living quarters that overlook a rectangular courtyard. It officially celebrated its five hundredth anniversary at the turn of the millennium, although a manor house had stood here as early as 1446. After changing hands many times and undergoing numerous renovations, the castle became the property of the Karadjordjevic family in 1935. This royal dynasty of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia once again completely rearranged the castle and its estate. After the Second World War, the castle and the adjoining grounds were transformed into the summer residence of President Tito.

For 400 years now the castle library has safeguarded one of the greatest jewels in Slovenia's national treasury, a 1584 vernacular translation of the Bible. The history of Brdo Castle is also closely associated with the name of Zois. One of historical Slovenia's most distinguished aristocratic houses, the Zois family also produced several of its finest scholars.

The castle, which is administered by the Protocol Service of the Republic of Slovenia, is still used today for state visits and other ceremonial occasions. Among the many foreign dignitaries and celebrities who have visited Brdo Castle are Pope John Paul II; HRH Charles, Prince of Wales; the former President and First Lady of the United States, Bill and Hillary Clinton; the former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev; former Italian president Oscar Luigi Scalfaro; former Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky; former German chancellor Helmut Kohl; the U.S. President George W. Bush and the Russian President Vladimir Putin; and world-famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

However, Brdo Castle is also open to tourists, who are welcome to spend a night in one of its luxuriously-appointed suites, or enjoy a luxurious meal in its dining salon, where an old wooden table extending the full length of the room conjures up the image of a medieval feast. The castle grounds comprise 500 carefully-maintained hectares, including numerous parks, a protected forest and 11 ponds stocked with trout, carp and pike.

The area offers abundant opportunities for recreation and relaxation, including hiking, carriage rides, horseback-riding, tennis and fishing. The nearby riding school houses a special breeding center for American buggy horses. Each year these horses compete in the traditional races held at the nearby racetrack on the first Sunday in September.

Web page: http://sigov3.sigov.si/brdo/eng/indexe.html

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