Medvedgrad

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Medvedgrad is a medieval castle on the south slopes of Medvednica mountain, roughly on the halfway from the Croatian capital Zagreb to the mountain top Sljeme. For its defensive purposes it is built on a hill Mali Plazur that is rather isolated from the main ridge of the mountain and it dominates over the city. The fortress was constructed after the mongol invasion of 1242 when the city of Zagreb was destroyed and burned to the ground. It was built to prevent further mongol invasions, which hopefully never repeated, on the kings estates between 1249 - 1254. After the earthquake in 1590 the fortress was heavily damaged and abandoned. It remained in ruins till the recent times when it was partly restored and now offers a breathtaking view over the city from its altitude of over the 500 meters. When it is a clear day the castle can be seen from far distance, especially because of his high main tower. Bellow the main tower of the castle is 'Oltar domovine' ('Altar of the homeland') which is dedicated to the fallen soldiers in the recent Croatian War of Independence.