Snow castles and sculptures that evoke ancient legends

The town of Črna na Koroškem in northern Slovenia hosted its annual snow sculpting competition this weekend. Unlike in recent years, there was a lot of snow and the temperature was low.

Known as King Machazu’s Castle, the event evokes the legend of a righteous king who sleeps beneath nearby Mount Pekah. Competitors usually explore this mountain as a theme for their sculptures.

Some associate it with the real-life King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary in the late 15th century. Matthias is believed to have ruled for the benefit of the people, but he was forced to hide under Mount Petak. He became stronger after other rulers plotted against him.

The 31st consecutive year the competition has been held in Cerna since 2019. Previously, it was held in Podpecha, just below Mount Petya. Over 1,400 snow castles and sculptures have been built since the first iteration in 1993.