View from Vurberg

Vurberk Castle is located in the southern part of Slovenske Gorice, on the steep left bank of the Drava River, and was first mentioned indirectly in 1238, when its builder Wigand (Wigandus de Wrmberch) was mentioned. The remains of the first castle on the Vurber hill date back to the 12th century. The dragon in the coat of arms of the first known landowner Amelrik of Holenburg originates from 1204. It was first mentioned directly in 1244, when the castle is mentioned as Wuermwerg; then Amelrik of Stubenberg pledged it to Swiker Humperško. After Swiker's death, he received Vurberk - castrum and Wurmberch from the archbishop of Salzburg in the Hartnid fief of Ptuj in exchange for his hereditary estates in Lungav (Tamsweg) in Salzburg. The castle was owned by the Counts of Hollenburg or the Lords of Vurberg, who named it and gave it a distinctive coat of arms depicting a worm (German: Wurm), a fairy-tale snake - a dragon. During the war between Otokar II. To the Czechs and the Ogres, Vurberk came under the Ogres for a short time. In the 60s of the 13th century, King Ottokar of the Czech Republic allegedly ordered the castle to be demolished. Rudolf Habsburg, the German king, took advantage of the dissatisfaction of the nobility and defeated Otokar in the Battle of Moravian Field in 1278, thus Styria and other Otokar lands came under Habsburg rule. The lords of Ptuj rebuilt Vurberk. It remained in Salzburg hands until 1438, and then in 1441 it passed into the possession of Frederick's sister Neža, who was married to Leutold Stubenberški, with an inheritance contract. It remained in the possession of the Stubenberski family until 1616, when Jurij Stubenberski sold the estate to Filibert Schranz pl. Schranzenegg.