# Kacenštajn Castle

- **Country:** Slovenia
- **Coordinates:** 46.376785, 14.201256

Kacenštajn Castle, known locally as Grad Kacenštajn and historically as Burg Katzenstein, stands as a central landmark in the village of Begunje within the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. First documented in 1428, the structure was originally constructed from limestone and later significantly rebuilt by the noble Katzen family during the sixteenth century. It achieved its final architectural form a hundred years later when the Counts of Lamberg relocated there from nearby Kamen Castle. While the original two-story Gothic core remains intact within the complex, the majority of the visible structure reflects subsequent Renaissance and Baroque renovations, with a distinct southeast wing added in the nineteenth century. The estate once featured a formal Baroque garden, which has since been converted into a vegetable garden, though a historic avenue lined with mature chestnut trees still leads to the manor.

The site holds profound historical significance due to its varied and often tragic usage over the centuries. Before the Second World War, the castle served as a women's penitentiary operated by the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, and in 1940, a pavilion designed by renowned architect Jože Plečnik was added to the grounds. During the war, the facility was commandeered by the Gestapo as a prison where more than 11,500 individuals were detained. Tragically, 849 detainees were murdered on-site and buried in a mass grave within the grounds. Today, the castle serves a dual purpose: part of the building houses a poignant Hostage Museum dedicated to chronicling these wartime events, while the remainder of the complex functions as a psychiatric hospital, preserving the structure amidst its continued operational use.

![Photo of Kacenštajn Castle](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Grad%20Kacen%C5%A1tajn%2001.JPG)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kacenštajn_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)