Event venue in the old castle in Celje | Gartner arhitekti

The natural slope at the foot of the Frederick Tower was an ideal starting point for a natural amphitheatre, partially covered with grass.

The Celje Castle was built in the mid-13th century by the Counts of Carinthia as a fortified castle on a cliff above the river Savinja. Its present form can only be fully grasped by the gradual discerning of all its historical layers. These created an exciting collage of different building entities, which, with their position and style definition, form today's image of the castle. Over the centuries the castle was expanded, fortified, and demolished.

Today the castle is relatively well researched. It has been preserved mainly as a ruin with restored outer walls and a compact medieval middle which has been already partially renovated. Part of the castle is gradually being rebuilt, while part of it is still left in its original state.

The stone benches laid in the slope and joined with a combination of different contact points, form a staircase along a line from the Frederick Tower's door to the already existing hallway over Brezno. A free-standing multipurpose stage completes the sitting area with a well-preserved well.

The view from the new amphitheatre opens the view to the natural scenery, already renovated tower above the Pelican trail, the gothic Palace and to the part of the outer wall. The surrounding hills frame the view.

The finished project is the result of successful, close cooperation with the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Celje.