CASTLE OLD SOTESKA (ALT AINÖD)

Historical region Carniola
Author: Hugo Gerard Ströhl 1890

Municipality: Dolenjske Toplice

LOCATION
Country: Slovenia
Historical region: Lower Carniola
Municipality: Dolenjske Toplice
Settlement: Loška vas
GPS:45°46′50.63″N 15°0′40.49″E

Castle alt Ainöd from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

NAME:
The word soteska (ainöd) means ravine or canyon. 

HISTORY:
The castle was first mentioned in 1313 as Ainöd, even though according to the testimony of historian Valvasor it stood as early as 1231. The castle was destroyed by warlord Jan Vitovec in 1440 in war with the Habsburgs. In the year 1506 it was abandoned. According to Valvasor the castle was surrounded by triple walls and towers. The castle stood on a rock and had prisons cut in the rock, where they imprisoned and tortured Turks. The Turks gave it special name of "Green Castle".