Žovnek Castle and Lake Braslovče

Žovnek Castle is undoubtedly one of the oldest castles in Slovenia. The builders of the original castle are unknown. The first known owner, mentioned in historical records from the 12th century, was the Savinjski family. Around 1150, this family changed its name to Žovneški. As early as their first mention in written sources, the lords of Žovnek owned not only their family castle but also Ojstrica Castle in the municipality of Tabor, Šenek above Polzela, and Libenstein above Prebold. In later years, the Žovneški gradually expanded their estates, financial and military power, and their reputation. In 1333, after purchasing the other half of the town of Celje, the Žovneški moved their administrative center and residence to Celje. On April 16, 1341, Emperor Louis of Bavaria elevated Frederick I to the rank of count by a special charter. In 1436, the Counts of Celje were elevated to princes. Although Celje Castle became the new administrative center of the Žovnek family, they remained strongly attached to their ancestral castle and family symbols. Žovnek Castle remained their family castle, where later generations of the Counts of Celje frequently resided. [manor] Following the violent death of the last Count of Celje, Ulrik II, near Belgrade in 1456, Žovnek Castle, along with the rest of the Celje estates, passed into the possession of the Habsburgs, who administered their new property through stewards. The last owner to live at the castle was Jožef Čokl von Ruhethal, who, however, built a new Žovnek manor in the valley in 1816 and moved out of the old castle. After 1816, when the last owners living there moved out of the castle, it was left to decay. Today, the once-mighty castle stands as a ruin that is gradually being restored. Access to the castle complex is via a bridge through the restored entrance portal. The two-part entrance portal was specifically designed to separate pedestrians and horsemen. To the left of the entrance portal stands the most striking part of the castle ruins, a round defensive tower that undoubtedly served the Žovnek family for defensive purposes. The tower is a two-story structure that once had its central section on the first floor, where the castle chapel was located. To the right of the entrance portal are the remains of the southern outer and inner walls. The central part of the castle once served as the residential section or palace, which is now almost entirely in ruins. The only remnants of the once-mighty palace are two so-called "spires," which were fully restored in 2008. Lake Braslovče Lake Braslovče lies approximately 1 km northwest of the town of Braslovče. It was created in 1961 by damming the Trebnik stream and covers an area of approximately 4.5 hectares. From the very beginning, the lake was intended for tourist activities and social events. In the past, numerous events took place on and around the lake, both in summer and winter. Today, Braslovško Lake is a popular destination primarily for those who enjoy walking and relaxing in nature, as a well-maintained forest nature trail approximately 1.5 km long winds around the lake, suitable for all age groups. It is also a favorite spot for fishing enthusiasts. Activities available at the lake:

• walking
• collecting a pocket herbarium – forest nature trail
• picnics in nature
• fishing on 4 ha of water surface: pike, pikeperch, catfish, carp, roach, chub, barbel, silver bream, grass carp, green carp, red-eyed carp

Source: http://www.braslovce.si/Turizem/GradZovnek http://www.braslovce.si/Turizem/BraslovskoJezero