Garić Grad, Castle ruin in Berek, Croatia
Garić Grad is a stone castle ruin situated at 356 meters (1,168 feet) elevation among forested hills. The remaining walls and structural elements reveal how the fortress was originally constructed.
The fortress is first documented in 1256 as "castrum Garig". It was originally held by the Zagreb bishopric, then became a royal castle, passing through the hands of Slavonian ban Ákos Mikcs and Pál Pécsi, and in the 15th century Tallóci Matkó; it was also briefly a queen's estate. The Ottomans seized it from the bishopric in 1544, after which it fell into ruin.
The noble family Paližna took its name from the Paližani estate (also Palisna, Palešnik) in the area around the fortress. Below the ruins stand the remains of the Pauline monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as Bela crkva, founded on Garić gora in 1295.
Access is by a steep road with a small parking area near the entrance that fits about three vehicles. The site has no public lighting, so visiting during daylight hours is recommended.
The noble Paližna family took its name from the Paližani estate (also recorded as Palisna or Palešnik) in the area around the fortress. The ruins stand on a 356-metre hill southwest of Podgarić, and the surrounding area was cleared and tidied in recent times.
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