Lihtenberk Castle

Lihtenberk Castle is a 13th-century ruin situated in the Municipality of Šmartno pri Litiji in central Slovenia, directly adjacent to the later Bogenšperk Castle. First documented in written sources in 1223 under the ownership of Albert von Lichtenberg, an Aquileian ministerialis, the structure has a complex feudal history involving the knights of Andechs and Weichselberg. Originally a walled fortress featuring a three-story residential palacium, the castle changed hands frequently during the Middle Ages. At one point around 1288, it was temporarily occupied by Count Meinhard of Tyrol before the Patriarchate of Aquileia intervened to restore previous ownership arrangements. By the end of the 15th century, the property had fallen into significant disrepair, prompting noble owners to shift their primary residence to the newly constructed Bogenšperk Castle nearby.

The ultimate decline of Lihtenberk was sealed by the devastating 1511 Idrija earthquake, which caused severe structural damage to the already weakening building. In 1630, the owner Georg Kheysell made the decision to demolish the remaining remnants of the castle. The salvaged materials were subsequently used to consolidate and repair the neighboring Bogenšperk Castle, a practice of recycling stone that continued later in the century under the ownership of the renowned historian Johann Weikhard von Valvasor. Valvasor, who owned the ruin and styled himself "von Lichtenberg," ensured the site's legacy survived through his famous 1679 depiction of the castle. Today, only fragments of the original residential palace remain visible at the site, serving as a historical marker of the region's medieval architectural evolution.