Rifnik

Rifnik
Rifnik Location in Slovenia
Coordinates: 46°12′12″N 15°24′31.48″E
Country	Slovenia
Traditional region	Styria
Statistical region	Savinja
Municipality	Šentjur
Area
• Total	1.54 km^2 (0.59 sq mi)
Elevation	330.8 m (1,085.3 ft)
Population  (2020)[1][2]
• Total	172
• Density	110/km^2 (290/sq mi)
[3]

Rifnik (pronounced [ˈɾiːfnik], German: Reichenegg^[4]) is a settlement in the Municipality of Šentjur, eastern Slovenia. It lies on Rifnik Hill, just south of the town of Šentjur. The settlement, and the entire municipality, are included in the Savinja Statistical Region, which is in the Slovenian portion of the historical Duchy of Styria.^[5]

Name

Rifnik was first attested in written sources in 1326 as Reichenekk (and as Reiheneck in 1335 and Reihnek in 1343). The name originally referred to the castle at the site, a compound formed from the Middle High German personal name Rîcho + egge 'hill, castle'. The name therefore originally meant 'Rîcho's castle'.^[6]

Archaeological park

Rifnik Hill, southern terrace

Remains of an Arian church

Archaeological exhibition

Archaeological park

Rifnik archaeological park is located on the hilltop above the settlement. It has a permanent exhibition about local prehistoric and ancient finds curated by the Celje Regional Museum.

Castle

Rifnik Castle (left) below the archaeological park (on the hill on the right)

The settlement is best known for its 13th-century castle. The castle was abandoned in the 17th century, but the remains of the residential part and the fortifications are still visible.^[7]

References

1. Razpotnik, Barica (2020-06-08). "On 1 January 2020, 2,095,861 residents of Slovenia lived in 5,978 settlements; 57 settlements were unpopulated" (Press release). Ljubljana: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 2021-01-10. final data (XLS attachment)
2. Prebivalci po spolu, občine in naselja, Slovenija, 1. januar 2020 [Population by sex, municipalities and resorts, Slovenia, 1 January 2020]. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (XLS) (in Slovenian). Ljubljana. 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2021-01-10. (note: for Šentjur, the municipality is at code 120, followed immediately by its settlements at codes 120001–120121)
3. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
4. Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 4: Štajersko. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna. 1904. p. 38.
5. Šentjur municipal site Archived 2011-01-15 at the Wayback Machine
6. Snoj, Marko (2009). Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 355.
7. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage Archived July 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine reference number ešd 7923

External links

• Rifnik on Geopedia