You cannot visit Gracarjev turn manor house, but you can see it in our post

Gracarjev turn is a manor house located in Dolenjsko, at the foot of Žumberek or Gorjanac in Slovenian, in the small village of Hrastje in the municipality of Šentjernej. It is not open for free visits, so the best way to see it is in our post!

Manor Gracarjev turn, Photo: Janez Drilc, CC0

The manor house is located on a gentle slope along the road that leads from Orehovica to Mokro Polje. It is officially named after the Grazers, a noble family from Graz in Belorussia, but the locals also call it Tolsti vrh – Faistenberg.

Gracarjev turn was first mentioned in 1311, but it was only at the end of the 16th century that the building got its appearance, which is preserved to this day. Then the tower was raised by one floor, the window openings were modernized and the crown of the residential tracts with an inner arcade courtyard was added.

To defend against the Turks, two wide towers were built on the southern corners, which even today have shooting ranges in the attic. Next to the manor are the remains of a baroque granary, small outbuildings, and a garden from the beginning of the 19th century.

Above the entrance to the castle is a marble plaque with a dedication to the writer Janez Trdina (1830-1905), who lived and created here several times.

Manor Gracarjev turn, Photo: Janez Drilc, CC0

In 1942, the castle was burned by partisans, but it was forcibly rebuilt after the war. The owner of the manor, Herbert von Schöppel, actively cooperated with the partisans during the Second World War and thus retained ownership even after liberation.

The manor is in a state of disrepair, and today’s owners are Herbert’s granddaughters who live in Belgium.