Hrastovec Castle

Štajerska · Slowenien · Castle

Countess Agata was beheaded as a witch through her mother-in-law's scheming – a black cross in the forest still marks her fate.

The young Count Frederick Herberstein of Hrastovec fell in love with beautiful Agata of Štralek and married her in secret, against his mother's will. While Frederick was away at war, his mother tormented Agata so cruelly that she bore a stillborn child – then denounced her for witchcraft. Agata was condemned and beheaded in the Črni les forest. When the count returned home he raised a black cross in 1605 at the execution site above Lake Komarnik, and it stands there still. Locals tell of a white-clad female figure appearing at night between the castle and the cross, doomed to search for the husband she never saw again.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich Hrastovec Castle?

Hrastovec Castle liegt in Štajerska, Slowenien.

Image: Sl-Ziga / Public domain — Wikimedia Commons