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Slovenia: Hike to Bistriška planina with lunch

On this Sunday Nada took us to fish lunch, but before we had to hike a little bit. We explored the ruins of Castle Gutenberg and some caves in the vicinity and in the end we conquered a nearby Bistriška planina.

On our way to the top we visited Castle Gutenberg, one of the oldest Slovenian castles.

Detailed story about the castle from http://www.gradovi.net/castle/gutenberk_hudi_grad:
After the nearby Dobrča (1634m) named Gutenberk castle belongs among the oldest Slovenian castles. It is mentioned for the first time in 1156 when Cisterians from Vetrinje gave domino Alberoni de Guotenberg to Alberon from Gutenberg and his sons five farms near Vipava, but explicitly as a castle in 1330 (Dušan Kos), when Carinthian duke Henrik presented it to Peter from Liemberg for formal residence and to take care of by castle's feudal law. It should be noted here that the year 1187, when the castle was supposedly mentioned explicitly for the first time (castrum Gutenberc), is not recognized by historian Dušan Kos and explains that in this case it is about the castle in Styria with the same name. Žontar assumes that Gutebergs were ministerials of Andechs, even if the place of the castle was probably in possession of Brixens. As witnesses accompanied by lords of Andechs, Gutenbergs are mentioned until 1228, but already in the mid 13th century they are one of the most important ministerials of Spanheim. In 1330 when the Gutenbergs were already vassals of Ortenburg, mentioning of a castle as vest ze Guotenberch is encountered. From the second third of the 14th century they are ministerials of provincial prince and at the time they also with their original name used nickname Cepel (Zaeppel) which can be afterwards found many times in documents. As the last owners in 15th century Valvasor mentions Lambergs who received the fortification together with purchase of Tržič, which got its borough tight in 1444 by emperor Friderik III. on initiative by the owners of Tržič at the time (Lovrenc Paradajzar from Neuhaus castle and heirs of Janez Lamberg from Gutenberg castle). After the earthquake in 1511 the castle was not reconstructed anymore by its owners Lambergs. In 1557 they arranged by permission from king Ferdinand to transfer the name to a younger castle Glanz (Slatna pri Begunjah) which now had the name new Gutenberk. The old Gutenberg was now finally abandoned.
First bishop of Ljubljana, Žiga noble Lamberg, was born on the castle which had a name "Hudi grad" ("Bad castle") among people and in folk tradition the story about a bewitched daughter of the castle Gutenberk has preserved.

According to Ivan Stopar the ruins of palatium and the tower could be dated to 13th century but by I.Jakič in the Gothic era (after the year 1300).

Because the way to the ruins is not marked anywhere this will guide you there. The ruins can be accessed from two directions. The first one if from Tržič the other from Begunje. From direction Begunje turn left at the sign "vila Bistrica", drive up on the good macadam road pass the quarry to the chapel (image on the right). From direction Tržič drive up towards Bistrica and follow the sign "Pod gradom" to the right. Continue ascend on a narrow road to the left, until you see a chapel (image on the right). Forest path between a chapel and the house will take you to the castle moat in five minutes, and near the moat a path to the ruins is located. Once the castle was accessible from the east where th entrance was protected by a rectangular tower and a deep moat.

More about Gutenbergs can be found in a book by Dušan Kos titled Vitez in Grad, where also genealogy table can be found.

Hellebore

Good old prices before € came in our country. Now prices are more than doubled, which we can't say for our salaries.

Hike with my family to Bistriška planina, 1060 m

GeoCache found:
- Grad Gutenberg, GC31FY6, where I took trackable item "Zelda 2 the Zebra Travel Tag", TB3FNKH