The Soteska castle

Cultural sights, Dolenjske Toplice - The Dolenjska region

From 1664 to 1689, the cout Jurij Žiga Gallenberg built the mighty Soteska castle in the deep and narrow Krka river valley. Designed as a rectangle with four single-storey wings, four corner towers and a special entrance tower, it was declared by Valvasor to be one of the most beautiful castles in the Kranjska region. The source of its economic power were the nearby forests, and a sort of golden age began for the valley during the 19th century when a sawmill was built on the right bank of the Krka river. The ruins of the castle and sawmill are open for visitors, and next to the castle the former farm buildings store exhibits of the Technical Museum of Slovenia. The castle also includes a garden pavillion with the Devil's tower (»Hudičev turn«).