Postojna Castle (Adelsberg)

Sovič with the ruins of Postojna (Adelsberg) Castle. Photo: Tomaž Penko

The ruins of Postojna Castle (Adelsberg) sit atop the town hill called Sovič which rises above Majlont, the oldest part of the town of Postojna.

The first known owners were the Counts of Andechs in the 12th century, but the castle itself is almost certainly older than that.

Postojna Castle was once the seat of a vast Postojna feudal lordship. Due to its strategic position, it played an important role in overseeing the karst passes and defense of the narrower area of the Postojna Basin.

The imposing castle building with defensive walls was damaged by a devastating earthquake in 1511 and it finally fell into disrepair after 1689 when it was destroyed by a fire.

Today, only very scarce remains can still be found on the hill and the castle area is full of tunnels and bunkers, the remnants of military skirmishes of the past century.