Old Vipava Castle

It was around 1100 when the Counts of Bogen built the castle – also referred to as the “Upper Castle” – on an elevation over the village of Vipava, on the slopes of Mt. Nanos. But the hill has also shown signs of prehistoric settlement. The castle was ruled by many families, including one Baron Herberstein. In 1486 his son, Sigismund von Herberstein, a noted Habsburg diplomat and the ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire to Russia, was born here and also spent his childhood. In the tumultuous 15th century, when Vipava was frequently ravaged by Ottoman incursions, the castle was fortified. In 1528 it passed to the Lanthieri family. However, the family preferred to live in the Lower Castle and the less accessible Upper Castle was abandoned sometime in the late 16th century. A footpath leads up to the weathered ruins of the Old Castle, offering a lovely view of the Vipava Valley.