The center of the estate is the baroque Lužnica castle from the mid-18th century, once owned by the family of Count Rauch, and now owned by the Sisters of Charity.
There is a multi-purpose ceremonial hall in the castle, which serves as a working space.
The facility is also very suitable for various cultural events - concerts, book presentations, literary evenings, poetry readings, etc.
In addition to the ceremonial hall, there are 6 other seminar rooms of various sizes that serve as group work rooms.
Although the old environment has been preserved, the rooms are equipped with modern educational and presentation techniques such as blackboards, moderation boxes, etc.
Lužnica Manor History
The castle and the Spiritual Center are located in an 8-hectare English park with a lake, woods and walks that offer the possibility of walking and talking during breaks.
Numerous benches, tables and gazebos located in the park offer moments of peace, relaxation and silence necessary for meditation of spiritual renewal.
Lužnica castle is one-storey, like many others in Hrvatsko Zagorje, and according to sources, it was probably built on the site of an earlier castle. The structural uniqueness of this castle is exceptional, because this architectural feat stands out with its corner towers.
The uniqueness of the Lužnica castle can be seen in the central and corner projections of the outer facades. This risalit is distinguished by its impressive size, completely in harmony with the other elements of the castle structure. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the differences between the risalits and the castle as a whole.
It is quite easy to notice that the facades are plastically treated, but the difference between the ground floor and the second floor is also pronounced. If the ground floor is rustic, mainly to emphasize the diversity of the two surfaces, on the second floor in the fields under the arched frames of the window sills are placed figural ornaments in relief. These are busts of human figures, both male and female, that reach caricature in their representation.
It is necessary to mention the relatively unsuccessful alterations in the inner corners of the courtyard, neo-Gothic alterations that are not original, but we place them deeply in the 19th century. .
Since this is a one-story building, it should be noted that the ground floor and the basement were intended for services and economic needs, while the second floor was intended for the upper classes. That is why we already notice a difference in performance in the corridor vaults. The vaults of the ground floor are scarce, there is no decoration of their performance, while in the vaults of the second floor we notice pictorial indications.
The corridors are located along the inner side of the castle, and next to them are rooms, rectangular in shape, interesting round arches. Unfortunately, the original furniture is largely lost in the grind of time, so we can only count the tiled stoves dating from the second half of the 19th century, the stone balustrade of the staircase, and four built-in cabinets in the main hall. The origin of these cabinets dates back to the late Baroque, and they are distinguished by carved doors, as well as decorations on the door jambs with floral motifs.
We can say without any difficulty that the Baroque castles of Hrvatsko Zagorje, including Lužnica, built at the end of the 18th century, were created under the direct influence of the Central European, especially Austrian, Baroque. Of course, this was not a simple imitation of the model, but a complex adaptation of the original architectural features to the geographical conditions of the Zagorje region, as well as to the economic and social conditions of Croatia in the period of cessation of the constant danger of Turkish invasions.
The Second World War was, of course, also felt in Lužnica. The sisters had to constantly defend the castle and its surroundings from the passing armies, but, to tell the truth, they were not harassed by any of them. During the war years, life was cramped and modest. There was a shortage of labor and the sisters could not farm the vast land on their own. Of course, the houses that received foodstuffs from Lužnica also suffered because of this.
The end of the war brought new problems. Everyone knows how the communist authorities regarded the Catholic Church. In the orgy of nationalization huge portions of land were taken away from the nuns, and they were left with only the narrowest strip around the castle itself, where the land is of the lowest and driest quality. In addition, large numbers of nurses lost their jobs in hospitals, schools, and just about everywhere else they worked until 1945. It can be said without exaggeration that their very existence was called into question. In addition to poverty, the executions of priests or the staging of the trial of the Archbishop of Zagreb, Blessed Alojzije Viktor Stepinac, certainly did not have a calming effect. Nevertheless, the sisters did not lose heart. They faced the new situation and, with God's help, survived. It is interesting that even in those difficult years of the second communist Yugoslavia, the number of new titles practically did not decrease. The arrival of democracy and the creation of an independent and sovereign state were, of course, welcomed by the Croatian sisters with a sigh of relief. Today Lužnica continues the tradition but in a completely new and humane way.
The Center offers its premises and services for organizing events. The Center offers its premises and services to all interested parties who want to organize spiritual or educational programs for its members and users - communities, associations, groups, organizations and companies.
There is a possibility to organize conferences, professional seminars and conventions.
In the immediate vicinity of the castle there is a new building to accommodate guests.
There are 60 single and 7 double rooms. In all rooms there is a shower, toilet, telephone, wifi and the possibility to connect your laptop to the Internet with a network cable.
Guests also have at their disposal a small library of spiritual literature with which they can enrich their free time. There is also another conference room in the new building with 40-seat movie screens and 30 seats with tables.
In addition to the three regular meals during breaks, coffee and cakes are offered by arrangement with each group.