Old Susica Castle

Old Susica Castle - Dvorac stara Sušica, Stara Susica, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Republic of Croatia.

Stara Sušica Castle is a true gem of the Gorski Kotar region, located at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, in a pristine, centuries-old forest with diverse flora and fauna.
It was first mentioned in the 14th century during the Ottoman invasion of Europe. Princes Frankopan and later Zrinski did everything possible to fortify the region and protect Gorski Kotar. The castle withstood the attack, earning it the status of a privileged town by King Joseph II. In 1778, Empress Maria Theresa presented it with a gilded monstrance, which remains in the parish church of St. Teresa of Avila, built in 1874 on the site of an older church burned by the Turks during the war. In the 19th century, the castle was owned by Count Laval Nugent, an Irish aristocrat and field marshal of the Austrian Empire, who was enchanted by the spirit and heritage of the place. In 1890, merchants from Rijeka, Felix and Joseph Neubauer, purchased it and restored it in the Romanesque style of their time. Then, with the addition of a tower with a spire, the castle achieved its final form.
Currently, the castle is owned by the City of Rijeka and managed by the Youth House. The castle itself houses a children's camp, where teenagers from all over Croatia live and participate in various outdoor programs.