Velenje Castle Velenje Castle ( ) is a well - preserved castle in Velenje , Slovenia that was owned by the Kunšperk family , followed by their relatives the Ptujs and the Liechtenstein families . The castle houses a museum of art and culture . Geography . The castle , above its town Velenje , is in the Šalek Valley ( ) , located on the top of a hill to the west of the town . Over the centuries this castle , along with two others in its vicinity , Šalek and Ekenštajn , has played a key role in controlling the routes from the Celje Basin to Carinthia . Archaeological excavations have revealed that the valley where the castle is located was the settlement of prehistoric man . Since medieval times , Velenje Castle in the Šalek Valley was also known as the " Valley of Castles " for the over twenty castles built in this valley . Approach to the castle is from a foot track from the bus station in the town , and also by road from the old town . History . The castle was a strategically important fortress first mentioned in 1270 ; from it various owners controlled the routes from the Celje Basin to Carinthia . From the 14th century , the castle ' s ownership has gone through several noblemen . The castle seen in the present shape was fully refurbished in the early 16th century by the Wagen von Wagensberg family and also in subsequent centuries . Following the complete renovation , the castle became their Renaissance residence . In the 19th century , Karl and Bianca Adamovich owned the castle . It was the summer residence of Count Coronnini - Kromberg until 1943 when he was evicted by the Germans . Subsequent to World War II , it became a government property . The castle was again renovated after 1957 and it now also houses a museum . Architecture . The castle has been built conforming to the topography of the land , on a rounded hill . It has a five - pronged exterior wall forming a large courtyard , which has a well and also a large flowerbed combined with an elegant arcade . A defense tower , a triangular shaped fortification , is built as part of the wall on the northeastern side of the courtyard . The residential buildings are located on the southeast corner ; these are provided with basement cellars . Museum . The museum located within the castle premises has a diverse collection in its many galleries . Its unique art collections include Africa n art ( only one of its kind in Slovenia with 1000 art pieces which includes furniture , jewelry , music instruments , masks and puppets , and the carved sculptures of the donor ) , which was donated to the museum by the Czech - born sculptor Frančišek Foit ; contemporary art by local artists of Slovenia , artifacts related to the history of the valley from the Roman period and Baroque of the Middle Ages through the centuries , including figureheads of Tito and Kardelj leaders of Yugoslavia during communist rule in Slovenia , remnants of two mastodon s , a chronology of Velenje emerging as a town and Baroque artwork from the Church of St . George ( ) at Škale . The museum also has a reconstructed grocer ' s shop of the 20th century , a reconstructed inn of the 1930s , a model of a coal pit , and many other artifacts . The Slovenian Coal Mining Museum ( ) is also located in the vicinity of the castle where deep coal mining shafts are visitor attractions . Popular culture . The Velenje library holds cultural and music festivals within the precincts of castle .