virtual excursion 360°

Zaprice Castle stands on a hill above the town of Kamnik, rising over the suburbs of Šutna and Zaprice and commanding a view of the valley of the Kamniška Bistrica River. Its location was strategically chosen in the Middle Ages, as it allowed control over the town and the access routes into the valley.

The original castle was built in the 14th century by the knights Dienger von Apecz, ministerials of the Bavarian Counts of Andechs. The earliest mentions date back to 1306. Initially, the castle was a tower-like fortification, but it was heavily damaged by the earthquake of 1511. In the 16th century, Jurij Lamberg renovated it, adding defensive walls with two towers and distinctive corner oriels. During the Reformation, the castle became a gathering place for Kamnik’s Lutherans, showing its role in religious upheavals.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle underwent Baroque renovations, especially under the ownership of Anton Medard Wiederkehr, who enlarged it and gave it a more representative appearance. In the 19th century, the castle acquired the form we know today. At that time, it passed into the ownership of the Schneid-Rechbach family, who held it until the Second World War. The last owner, Elizabeta Schneid-Rechbach, retained the property until 1946, when it was confiscated in the post-war nationalization process. This marked the end of private ownership.

In 1961, the castle was converted into the Intermunicipal Museum Kamnik. Today it houses permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of Kamnik and the wider region, a lapidary with stone monuments from antiquity to the modern era, and an open-air ethnographic museum with granaries from the Tuhinj Valley. Inside, there are exhibitions of furniture, industrial heritage, and other cultural collections. The castle has become an important cultural and educational center, hosting events, lectures, and exhibitions, thereby maintaining its role in the life of the town.