Predjama Castle in Slovenia's Inner Carniola region is a rather unique structure in the world of castles, having been built within the mouth of a cave. The castle, which was constructed in 1274 on the orders of the Patriarch of Aquileia, was built into an existing arch high in the stone wall to make it rather difficult to access for any intruders or enemy armies. Predjama eventually fell into the hands of the Luegg family, who were known as the Knights of Adelsberg.
And in the 15th century, it was owned by the notorious robber baron Knight Erazem of Lueg. Legend has it that Erazem came into conflict with the Habsburgs after he killed the commander of the imperial army. He then fled to his family fortress of Predjama and began attacking Habsburg estates and towns in Carniola.
In turn, the Habsburgs and the Holy Roman Emperor besieged Predjama. Unbeknownst to them, however, the hidden passageways and shafts throughout the castle and cave system allowed Erazem to continue supplying food to the castle and to continue with his robberies. The legend goes that the siege was eventually successful when Erazem was betrayed by a servant and killed while on the toilet.
In the years after this, the ruins of Predjama were acquired by the Oberburg family and then the Purgstall family who rebuilt the castle, one for it to be destroyed by an earthquake in 1511. The castle was rebuilt, for a second time, in 1570, and has remained virtually unchanged ever since, even when it was confiscated and.
