Raka Castle

Raka (German: Arch) Castle (Grad Raka in Slovene) is considered one of Slovenia’s oldest medieval castles. Its first mention in historical documents dates back to 1161, and expressly by its ancient name, Castrum Arch, to 1279. It is therefore believed  that it was not constructed later than the second half of the 12th century for the Counts of Bogen. It was then inherited by the Counts of Andechs, and later passed into the hands of the Dukes of Spanheim. The Countess Barbara the White, notorious for her cruelty, had her disobedient thralls tied to a pillory that still stands next to the path leading towards the Castle. The Castle burned down during the Slovenian Peasant Revolt of 1515 and was rebuilt in the Renaissance style a decade later. In the 17th century, its owners were the Lords of Werneck, who later sold the Castle to the Kajzelj family, who introduced greenhouses on the fields leading to the Castle as well as a fishpond full of crayfish. Between 1784 and 1825, the Castle’s occupant was Baron Haller von Hallerstein whom we could thank for saving it from ruin and giving it an entirely new and embellished look. His coat of arms is still displayed above the entrance gate.
During the Second World War, the Castle was a post of the German army. Between 1948 and 1998, it was a monastery of the Sisters of Mercy, serving as the home for elderly nuns of ill health. After the Sisters of Mercy left the Castle in 1998, its ownership passed to the Municipality of Krško, which renovated a portion of the roof and purchased 2,000 sqm of land from a neighbour, then sold it at a public auction. Its current owner carried out a thorough renovation and equipped 43 rooms with authentic period inventory (1,000 items such as furniture, paintings, arms and the like).