This castle literally sits at the edge of a 123 metre cliff – a four story structure almost arrogant in its simplicity, but unconquered and uncompromising. Although the current building dates from the end of the 16th century, a castle has stood on this site since the year 1201 and this castle is the only representative of cave castles in Slovenia.



Its basic features were formed in the 12th and 13th centuries, but the Renaissance period gave it the final stamp with the construction of the imposing Kobenz gate tower. The legend of the famous robber baron Erazem Lueger, who met his violent death here, is deeply impressed in Slovene folklore.

In 1478 the castle became the property of the knight Erazem. During the 15th Century Erazem was a maverick knight who had a personal feud with the Emperor of Austria. During this time he became Slovenia's version of Robin Hood by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

In 1483 he killed a marshall Pappenheim at the Vienna court during an argument. This marshall was however a relative of the Austrian Emperor so Erazem fled to his castle to escape punishment. Having retreated to the castle and its caves and passages he improved the cave by building a crude castle in it, using parts of the cave walls and levels as an integral part of the structure.

This fortress was laid siege to for a year, on the Emperor's orders by Gaspar Ravbar, Lord of Triest. Ravbar tried to starve Erazem to death but was surprised to notice that Erasmus seemed to have an unlimited supply of fresh food. Later it became known that Erasmus had gotten his food through a secret passage through the caves. Erazem was finally killed when a disgruntled servant tipped off the enemy to the location of his latrine and gave a signal for the cannonball shot that blew off his head.

In 1567 the castle was bought by Hans Kobenzl, an Austrian knight from Kärnten. He rebuilt and enlarged the castle and it is mostly the result of this building campaign what we see today. His descendants remained owners of the castle until 1810. Then two more owners followed until the castle was confiscated and reverted back to the state after World War II.


sources:
http://www.zrimsek.com/slovenia.htm
http://www.castles.nl/eur/sl/pj/pj.html