Bogensperk Castle

Bogensperk Castle (Grad Bogenšperk) is a Renaissance manor at Bogensperk 5 near Smartno pri Litiji, east of Ljubljana in Central Slovenia. It is best known as the home of Janez Vajkard Valvasor, the 17th-century polymath who wrote and printed The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola here in 1689, a landmark work describing the land, people and customs of the region. Valvasor bought the castle in 1672 and set up a printing workshop on site, and the manor today is arranged as a museum around his life and work. Visitors tour furnished rooms, a reconstructed printing workshop with a press, a library of engravings and the Valvasor museum collections. The courtyard, arcades and defensive walls give a sense of the manor's layout, and the surrounding grounds are pleasant for a short stroll. The castle also hosts events, concerts and weddings, so tours can be disrupted on wedding Saturdays. A typical visit lasts about one and a half hours, usually on a guided or semi-guided basis. Photographers favour the arcaded courtyard and the exterior viewed from the approach road. Crowds are rarely a problem because the castle is off the main tourist routes; weekday mornings are especially quiet, while summer weekends and events draw more people. Opening hours vary by season: in October weekdays run 09:00-16:00 and weekends 10:00-18:00, winter hours are shorter, and the castle is closed on 1-2 January, 1 November and 25-26 December. Adult entry is EUR 7, with reduced rates for pupils, pensioners and families. It is easiest reached by car in about 35 minutes from Ljubljana.