Of the countless castles located throughout Slovenia, this may be the only one that can properly be called a single family home - by which we mean it's the full-time residence of a working family, complete with kids' toys strewn about the courtyard, laundry hung up to dry and a friendly old dog guarding the drive.

Owned by the state, the castle has been leased to the winegrowing Klakočar family for 99 years in order to ensure that it is properly maintained without costing taxpayers a fortune. While most of the premises are off-limits to visitors, there is a authentically arranged wine cellar in the basement that is open to both independent travellers and larger groups. The per person prices for wine tastings accompanied by a degustation menu are quite reasonable, and wines available for purchase include a gold medal-winning Laški rizling and an extremely limited production ice wine. There's also an art gallery on the first floor that hosts infrequent exhibitions.

Actually located a few kilometres north of Bizeljsko in the hills above the small hamlet of Bizeljsko Vas, the castle is a bit tricky to find so if you don't come with a local or a guide we recommend at least having a reliable GPS device.