Klenovnik Castle

Klenovnik Castle, recognized as the largest castle in Croatia, is situated in the village of Klenovnik within Varaždin County. While the structure's exact construction date is not specified in the available records, its history dates back to the 13th century. The first documented mention occurred when Hungarian-Croatian King Béla IV confiscated the property from an owner named Pochun and granted it to the ruler of the nearby town of Varaždin. Over the centuries, the estate changed hands among various nobility, including the prominent Drašković family, who held it until selling the property in 1850 to fund renovations at their Trakošćan Castle.

The castle's architectural evolution reflects its long tenure under different owners, ranging from Croatian noblemen to Austrian officials like Baron Bruck, the Minister of Finance, who acquired it in the mid-19th century. Following Bruck, the Paradiž family maintained the manor, its lake, and surrounding park for over forty years until 1922. Count Ivan Bombelles became the final private owner before selling the estate to the Central Office for Workers' Insurance in Zagreb just three years later. This transaction marked a pivotal shift in the building's purpose from a private aristocratic residence to a public institution.

In 1927, the converted palace opened as a sanatorium, specifically establishing a tuberculosis hospital that grew to become one of the best-equipped medical facilities in the newly formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The hospital continued its critical operations through the turbulent periods of the Independent State of Croatia and World War II. After the war, it was formally renamed the Klenovnik Hospital for Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis. Today, the site remains in use as a medical facility, preserving its historical significance while serving a vital modern function in healthcare.