Castle & fortressFilmed hereCentral Croatia

Veliki Tabor Castle: the Great Camp of Hrvatsko Zagorje

Veliki Tabor Castle is a fortress and museum on a hilltop at Hum Košnički in Hrvatsko Zagorje, near Desinić and about 8 km west of Pregrade. Its Late Gothic pentagonal core is ringed by four Renaissance semicircular towers and an outer defence wall. It is one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in northern Croatia, and a worthwhile detour for anyone exploring Zagorje.

The name Veliki Tabor means “Great Camp”, and it was exactly that: a refuge for the people of the area in times of Ottoman raids. A local legend adds a darker secret, a young woman said to be walled up inside.

WhereHum Košnički, municipality of Desinić, Hrvatsko Zagorje, about 8 km west of Pregrade

TypeLate Gothic and Renaissance fortress, today a state-run museum

Best forCastle lovers, history buffs, panoramic views and film fans

Getting thereOn a hill at 334 m above sea level, about 1.5 km north-west of Desinić; the area is in north-western Croatia near the Slovenian border

The history of Veliki Tabor Castle

Veliki Tabor, “Great Camp” in Croatian, stands on a long, narrow plateau of a hill at Hum Košnički, in the municipality of Desinić in Hrvatsko Zagorje. The name reflects its military purpose: the people of the surrounding area could shelter behind its walls from the raids of Ottoman light cavalry. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance it was the westernmost point of a defensive chain that reached east to the slopes of Ivanščica and included Mali Tabor, Kostelgrad, Gorica, Cesargrad and Lobor-grad.

According to conservation research and the study of archaeological finds, the oldest part is the central pentagonal building, which dates from the middle of the 15th century and belongs to the Late Gothic style. The first owners were the Counts of Celje; after their line ended, the site later passed to other notable names, among them Matthias and Ivaniš Corvinus. The first written mention of a “camp” comes only in 1497, as Thabor aliter Wrbowicz, and in 1513 a document names it for the first time as Naghthabor.

Most of what you see today was built by the Hungarian noble family of Ráttkay, known in Croatian as Ratkaj, who held the castle from 1502 until 1793. They raised four semicircular Renaissance towers around the pentagonal core and linked them with curtain walls. The largest, eastern tower was designed for heavy cannon. Beyond the castle ran an outer defence wall, about 225 m between its easternmost and westernmost points, with a farm office, a Renaissance bastion, two semicircular guardhouses and a quadrangular entrance tower, which today survives only at archaeological level.

Over the following centuries the fortress slowly became more of a residence, yet it kept its Late Gothic forms. Owners changed repeatedly. During the First World War the Austro-Hungarian army used the castle as a prisoner-of-war camp. In 1919 the Croatian painter Oton Iveković bought it at auction and began to secure the crumbling building; he owned it until 1938, after which it passed to the state.

Today Veliki Tabor is owned by the state and run as a museum and tourist site. It closed for renovation on 6 November 2008 and reopened to the public in November 2011. In 2005 it was proposed for Croatia's tentative list of World Heritage Sites, and since 2002 its courtyards have hosted the Tabor Film Festival.

Curiosities about Veliki Tabor Castle

The name “Great Camp” comes from its function: local people could take refuge behind the walls and find food in the outbuildings.
Local legend tells of Veronika of Desinić, a girl from a poor family whom Count Hermann II of Celje accused of witchcraft and had drowned because he refused her as his son's bride; her body is said to have been walled up in the castle.
According to the Italian Wikipedia, the castle chapel on the first floor holds the skull of Veronika, and the castle has a well 31 m deep.
The roof is said to be made from twelve different materials.
The upper floors are wider than the lower ones because they rest on stone consoles that were not all built at the same time.
Since 2002 the castle has been the venue of the Tabor Film Festival, an international festival of short films.

Filmed here

Veliki Tabor Castle on screen

The castle appears in a Yugoslav-Croatian film mentioned by Wikipedia.

Anno Domini 1573 (1975) – In this Yugoslav-Croatian film the castle serves as the home of Ferenc Tahy, which is attacked by his serfs.

Tours near Veliki Tabor Castle

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Zagreb to Trakoscan castle, Kumrovec & Veliki Tabor -Private tour

★ 5 (2 reviews) · 7 h

See details ›

Private experience of Rastoke and Plitvice Lakes from Zagreb

★ 5 (143 reviews) · 10 h

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2 hour Private Walking Tour of Zagreb

★ 5 (64 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Baroque Varaždin and Trakošćan Castle Private Tour from Zagreb

★ 5 (58 reviews) · 9 h

See details ›

Visiting Veliki Tabor Castle

The entrance to the castle has always been in the same place; the first floor is reached from the south, across a bridge porch leading to an arcaded porch.
Look for the pentagonal core, the four round towers, the galleries with round pillars and the deep castle well.
The museum collections include old vehicles, ethnographic items, an early pharmacy, swords and armour, paintings and ceramics, plus an exhibition about the Ráttkay family.
From the towers the view stretches to the hills of the Desinić area, towards Medvednica to the south and Ivanščica to the west, and on a clear day as far as the Drava valley and Styria.
Opening hours are not given in the sources, so check the current opening hours before you go.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Veliki Tabor Castle is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Veliki Tabor Castle

Questions

Where is Veliki Tabor Castle?

It stands on a hill at 334 m above sea level at Hum Košnički, in the municipality of Desinić in Hrvatsko Zagorje, about 8 km west of Pregrade.

What does Veliki Tabor mean?

It means “Great Camp” in Croatian. The name comes from the castle's role as a refuge for local people during Ottoman raids.

Who built Veliki Tabor Castle?

The oldest part dates from the middle of the 15th century and the Counts of Celje were its first owners. Most of the present castle was built by the Ráttkay family, who held it from 1502 to 1793.

What is the legend of Veronika at Veliki Tabor?

The legend says that Veronika, a girl from a poor family, was accused of witchcraft and drowned on the order of Count Hermann II of Celje, who did not accept her as his son's wife. Her body was supposedly walled up in the castle.

Was a film shot at Veliki Tabor Castle?

Yes. The castle appears in the 1975 Yugoslav-Croatian film Anno Domini 1573. Since 2002 it has also hosted the Tabor Film Festival for short films.

Is Veliki Tabor Castle a museum?

Yes. It is owned by the state and runs as a museum and tourist site; it reopened in November 2011 after renovation.