Žovnek Castle, Medieval castle ruin in Braslovče, Slovenia.

Žovnek Castle is a ruined castle on a hill at 409 m above Lake Žovnek in the village of Podvrh, 5.5 km southwest of Braslovče. Its core is largely collapsed, but the curtain wall can still be traced, and in the southwest corner stands a large round bergfried with walls 3.27 m thick built on solid rock. The three-storey residential wing enclosed a small arcaded courtyard, and three ditches about 9 m wide protected the vulnerable ridge.

The fortress was first documented in 1278 as Castrum Sevnekke and served as the seat of the Lords of Žovnek. In 1333 this noble family moved their residence to Celje, abandoning their original stronghold.

The castle is named after the Lords of Žovnek, the noble family who built it and later became the Counts of Celje. The name is linked to the Savinja River, called Savna in old sources, which may once have flowed closer than its present 4 km distance. The family kept and often stayed at the castle even after moving to Celje in 1333.

Access is via a marked footpath that leads uphill and requires no special preparation to walk. There is no entrance fee, but sturdy shoes are recommended since the path can be uneven.

The castle's name is linked to the Savinja River, which today lies about 4 km east; tradition and the shape of the terrain suggest it once flowed closer. The first two Lords of Žovnek, Gebhard I and Leopold I, were not yet named after the castle, so it probably did not exist during their time.