Mali Tabor, Renaissance castle in Hum na Sutli, Croatia

Mali Tabor is a Renaissance castle positioned on the western slope of a hillside in northern Croatia at about 338 meters elevation. The structure features four semicircular towers and stone walls constructed from traditional materials typical of the period.

Built in the second half of the 15th century, probably around 1490, Mali Tabor was first recorded in 1511 as Kys Thabor. John Corvinus held it from 1490 to 1504, then George of Brandenburg sold it to the Rattkay family, who kept it until 1793. Their nephew Baron Josip Wintershoffen inherited it, and marriage ties later brought it to the Jelačić and then the Kavanagh families, who held it until the end of the Second World War.

The name Mali Tabor, meaning "Little Tabor," echoes the Croatian name for the hill at Veliki Tabor, linking the two estates. Before the 1990s the building served as a youth centre and a shop for the village. The simple Baroque courtyard gate still shows the corner where a small defensive structure once stood, now hidden by overgrowth.

The site sits on a hillside, so expect some elevation change while exploring, especially if you want to see the walls and towers up close. Wearing sturdy shoes and allowing time to walk slowly around the structure will help you notice all its details.

The walls are built from semi-dressed stone blocks bound together with mortar using traditional techniques. This construction method reveals how craftspeople of that era worked and passed down their building skills across generations.