Tabor Castle

Medieval Tabor Castle, also known among locals as the Old Castle, stands at the foot of Hum and was probably built in the 12th century to house the offices of the Laško estate and the provincial court. As an independent Styrian enclave it belonged to the Habsburgs for centuries. Because they frequently leased it to noblemen who did not live there, the castle steadily deteriorated, although the Counts of Celje used it for a time as a hunting lodge. During the Ottoman incursions it was partly restored and offered to the townspeople as a fortified refuge where they could camp and protect themselves from attack. This is also the origin of the name Tabor.

After the castle lost its final defensive role, it stood abandoned and entered the modern age as an overgrown ruin. Various wealthier town families and the Beautification Society took care of it. During this period the well-known legends connected with the castle arose, claiming that a valuable treasure lies hidden beneath the former ruins and that an underground tunnel leads from the castle to the lower square in front of the church. Another curiosity is the poisonous sumac, a rare plant from the American and Asian continents that somehow, by a strange coincidence, once seeded itself on the castle walls.

In the second half of the 1980s Pivovarna Laško undertook a thorough reconstruction and restoration, using its own investment to convert the castle for tourism and hospitality.

The former residential section now houses PAVUS Restaurant, where chef Marko Pavčnik offers top-level gastronomy recognised with a prestigious Michelin star. The tower contains a hall for civil wedding ceremonies, while a luxurious wine cellar lies below.