The current appearance of Trakošćan Castle was preceded by numerous reconstructions: it is believed that the oldest layers of the castle date back to the 13th century when it was a small fortress whose owners changed frequently during the mediaeval period. In the second half of the 16th century, it came into the possession of the Drašković family, who would maintain it until 1945.

Its centuries-old role had a fortification purpose: it was upgraded at the end of the 16th century when it was adapted for defence against firearms. As military conflicts subsided, the Trakošćan fortress lost its defensive role and began to decline – in the mid-19th century, a historicist transformation gave it a residential character and the surrounding area was landscaped into a park.