Grad Kamen

From the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem, the foundations of Grad Kamen can be seen from afar. In 1145, Grad Kamen was recognized as one of the most important strongholds of the region.

Grad Kamen means stone castle in Slovene. The castle was built in the 12th century by the counts of Ortenburg. After the death of the last count of Ortenburg, the castle was taken over by the famous counts of Celje, who owned the castle until the dead of count Herman III of Celje, in 1428.

Jurij Lamberg bought the castle in 1469. Under the ownership of the Lamberg, the castle was restored, renovated and upgraded into a prosperous and glorious castle. One notable Lamberg was Gasper Lambergar, a famous and talented knight who won 85 tournaments, he is also the hero of many folk songs.

In the 18th century, Grad Kamen lost its purpose as a defending and protective stronghold of the region. The Lamberg left the castle, abandoning the structure to itself. The tiles from the deserted castle were used by the nearby villagers to build the roof of a new baroque style church: the Church of St-Ulrich in Begunje.

In 1959, efforts to preserve the castle were made. Nowadays, ruins and remains of the once glorious stone castle remain open to the public.

The highest point of the castle, the Romanesque tower, is from the 12th century. The lower part of the rocky terrace is from the 14th century. After a big earthquake in 1511, the two towers of the castle were joined together. The old stone altar from the castle was moved to the Church of St-Ulrich in Begunje.