The Otocec castle is situated on an island in the river Krka, amidst its shallow streams and a riverbed full of small sandstone islands. The castle was first mentioned in 1252, being a property of the Counts of Visnja gora, and subsequently owned by the Babenbergs. In 1246, the king Otokar gave it as a gift to the church of Freising that made the noble families Warth or Werder to be the canons. In the early 16th century, its owners were the Villander family, until the castle was bought by Ivan Baron Lenkovic, the general of the "Vojna krajina" region in 1560. The castle was run by many more families until World War II, including its last masters, the Counts of Marghera di Commadona. The development of the castle structure was finished in Baroque, and minor alterations were going on until the late 19th century. The castle has rectangular fortress walls, including four circular-shaped towers for defence and a rebuilt central defence tower above the entrance to the inner courtyard. The palazzo is flanking the castle walls, reaching to the inner courtyard. The castle chapel used to stand in the courtyard wing and was later moved to the Western defence tower. The castle was burnt down in 1942 by the partisans, but it has recently been restored to become a hotel. The antique charm of the castle and its environments, carefully embraced by the river Krka, offers a feeling of natural, serene beauty. Its location on the island in the middle of the river Krka gave shape to the castle building; together with its park, they form one of the most magnificent landscapes of Slovenia and were described by the writer Ivan Tavcar in his novels "Janez Sonce" and "The Island and the Stream". Today, the Otocec castle is a top rated hotel, renown for its excellent standards and its original cuisine.

Slovenian Tourist Board