Forest Educational Path at Pister Castle

Route Description

Vuzenica Castle (German “Saldenhofen”) or Pister Castle (named after its last owner) is located on a hill above the village of Vuzenica. Only the renaissance single-storey defensive tower and the modest remains of the walls above the cliff stand above the ruins today. The unusual tower is built of a of stone and brick mixture, the floor surface has a trapezoidal shape, and the outside wall facing a potential enemy has strongly rounded edges.

There are a few key-shaped firing lines on the ground floor, and wide renaissance-ones on the first floor. More and more holes are penetrating the roof. The tower was bursting with life more than a decade ago, but now it has almost no roof, the inner two walls are completely ruined, as well as the renaissance bifora-type window on the outer wall, which was preserved a decade ago.
The castle has a rich history of being passed down among various nobles. The last owner of the decaying castle was Oskar von Pistor, a painter and portraitist. Until 1972, it was in the hands of the family of Otokar Pistor, son of Oskar Pistor, an academic painter who married a local woman named Ana Verdnik.

There are several trails leading up to the castle. One of them is the circular educational path, which is about 3 kilometres (1.15 miles) long and rewards you with numerous views over the villages of Muta and Vuzenica, and the beautiful Drava River. You will pass by the interesting Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Slomšek Chapel and many information boards.