Koroška

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Koroška is a statistical region in the north of Slovenia. It has the highest employment rate of the country due to the various mines and manufacturing plants. There live about 73,839 people on a surface area of 1041 km².

Dravograd

During WW II the basement of what is now the town hall was used as a prison by the Gestapo. During the WW II, Slovenia was under German occupation and the town of Dravograd was used as a centre of operations for the Koroška region. The local people didn’t like this at all and the local resistance was well organised, which resulted in a lot of attacks on the Germans. The Gestapo had no trouble at all filling their prison, not only with the local partisans, but also with Russians who were forced to work on the water-energy plants on river Drava.
Nowadays, the former Gestapo prison is home to a small, but fascinating museum. The local Tourist Information Office holds the key to the museum and you need to contact them in advance by phone or email. I really would recommend it if you have an hour to play with in the Koroška region. After a short introduction, you can walk around and explore the cells. You can have a look in all five of them. Two of them were punishment cells, in which the ceilings were even lower so the only possible position of the prisoners was to stoop. Graffiti was found in all of the cells, explaining the thoughts of the prisoners. A couple of the cells contain show cases, showing some objects that had been found in the building after it was deserted. There is no admission fee. Visits only by appointment from Monday to Friday between 8.00am-2.00pm. It is  closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Very special is the 12th century St. Vitus church (cerkev Sv. Vida), which has survived the wars throughout the centuries. It is one of the most important Slovenian Romanesque buildings in existence and therefore is part of the Transromanica project of the EU and UNESCO.   
Interesting to encounter are the traditional charcoal burners in the Kobansko Hills, which are an important part of the local cultural heritage.
The tourist office can arrange rafting tours on the river Drava. This will cost you only € 16 for three hours of fun. The price includes food and drinks.
The region is also interesting to bird spotters because in the marshes live numerous bird species like the sandpipers, egrets and various gulls.

Contact the Tourist Office on:
Address: Trg 4. julija 50, 2370 Dravograd    
Phone: +386 2 871 02 85
e-mail: info.dravograd@triera.net

Notranjsko-kraška

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Notranjsko-kraška is a statistical region in the south-west of the country. It is the least densely populated area of Slovenia and is famous for its nature: the Postojna cave and lake Cerknica.

Cerknica
Cerkniško Jezero (lake Cerknica) is the biggest lake of Slovenia, though only if it’s there. It is a seasonal lake. The water of the lake is directly connected with the underground waters, because of all the karstic tunnels and caves. So when the groundwater level rises or falls, the surface water of the lake will also rise or fall.
The bed of the lake is connected to a huge but for the most part unapproachable system of caves that drain the water away or eject the water.  The bizarre behaviour of the lake was already observed by the Romans, who made notes of it, but never had explanations of why it happened. At the utmost, the surface area of the lake is about 26 km², however during rainy periods it can reach a size up to 38 km².  In summer, the lake shrinks into some small pools, of which only one is permanent. At the centre of the lake there is an island with a small village.
Museum Lake Cerknica
There is a small museum with a unique presentation of how the water system of the lake works and where the water goes. I has a 3D model of the valley and the lake. They give some special explanations for tourists in English, German, French and Czech and for children. To book one of these tours, please contact the museum:
Museum Jezerski Hram
Dolenje Jezero 1e, 1380 Cerknica
telephone: +386 1 7094 053
e-mail: jezerski.hram@siol.net

Postojna
The largest known cave system in Slovenia, is in Postojna. There are a lot of caves in the world, but a visit to the cave of Postojna is exceptional because of the variety of shapes, widespread cave areas, the enormous amount of stalactites and stalagmites and the subterranean water systems. Well-kept tracks for tourists cover most of the Postojna cave, making it possible for almost every visitor to see most of these various shapes and formations. So not only cavers with special caving equipment, but also tourists can visit the cave. An electric train will take you to the cave, where guides accompany visitors for a one and a half hour tour through the cave. The last hall of the cave has a pool in the middle with a number of cave salamanders in it. They are caught in a cave close by and released again after a few weeks.
People who are not afraid to show some physical effort, can visit the more difficult parts of the cave with narrow passages and flooded areas that are not open to the general public. For those daring people, there are unique adventure tracks. These require special tools and qualified guides and are organised for small groups of 3 till 15 people.
An indication of life in the cave is given by the Proteus Vivarium, which is located about 100 metres from the entrance of the cave.  The Postojna cave is a home to 84 subterranean  animal species, of which 36 are land-living and 48 are aquatic. In the vivarium you can watch a multimedia presentation about karstic caves. In the Passage of New Signatures there are two separate sections about cave fauna, there you can have a glance at the proteus anguinus, an amphibian salamander, and the drobnovratnik beetle.
Christmas in the Postojna cave
During the winter holidays, there is always a series of tableaux that tell the biblical Nativity story placed in one of the most wonderful parts of the cave.  There also is a Christmas fair a chocolate fair. Booking is recommended, because everyone wants to see this wonderful sight and there is only a limited amount of places available for each performance.
Telephone: +386(5) 7000 100

PredjamaPredjama Castle (Predjamski Grad) lies in the village of Predjama, about 10 kilometres north-west of Postojna. The castle was most likely built in the 12th century. At that time it was controlled by the counts of Gorizia. In 1478 the castle became the home of the well-known knight Erazem (Erasmus). He was doubtless the most legendary resident of Predjama Castle. In 1483 he killed Field Marshall Pappenheim at the Royal Court in Vienna during a dispute. But Pappenheim was a relative of the Emperor so, to escape his punishment, Erazem fled to his castle. The castle was afterwards sieged on the Emperors instructions by Lord Gaspar Ravbar of Trieste. Ravbar tried to let him die of hunger but was shocked to see that he always had fresh food on hand. At last Erazem was killed by a cannonball. Later they found out that he had got his provisions through an underground passageway through the caves. The castle is situated in the middle of a 123 metres high, overhanging rock face. It was built in the entry of a cave. The river Lovka runs underneath the castle. A smaller cave has been used as a horse stable. The interior of the castle can be visited and gives you a good view of how much the castle and the life of the residents was adapted to the cave and the cliff. Every year in July, there is a medieval tournament named after the famous 15th century baron Erazem of Predjama.

Snežnik Castle
Snežnik Castle is the only castle in Slovenia with authentic furniture that has survived the centuries. The museum inside the castle was opened to public in 2008 after the restorations of this romantic castle had been finished. The building is owned by the state, but the museum is maintained by the Slovenian National Museum.
It was built on the edge of the Lož Valley, which is of course a very strategic site. The Romans had already built a stronghold on the same site, from which some remains are found and exhibited inside the museum. However, the Lords of Snežnik were first mentioned in the 13th  century. The word Snežnik means ‘snowy one’, which is a slovenised form for the name of the initial owners: the royal house of Schneberg (German for snowy mountain). During the  following centuries, there have been a lot of owners, of which most were members of prominent Carniolan noble families, e.g. the Lambergs, Scheyers, Raumschissls, Eggenbergs, Auerspergs and Lichtenbergs.  A large area in the Notranjska region was governed from the castle during the 17th century. Yet, it only got its current appearance from the 19th century. It was in that time that the estate had been bought by the princely Saxon family of Schönburg-Waldenburg. They converted the castle into a hunting and holiday residence, because of its enormous forests. It was on this site, that Prince George founded the first Slovenian forestry school in 1867. The Schönburg-Waldenburgs were good for the environment: Endangered species were not hunted, a steam saw stimulated the development of woodworking industry in the valley and electricity was not only provided in the castle, but also in the surrounding villages. The castle owners offered of course a range of jobs to the villagers. This ended  after WW II, when Leon Schauta had saved the castle from destruction and so fulfilled his job as caretaker of the castle.
Exceptional is the Egyptian room from the early 20th century. The furniture of this room has been given to the owners by an old friend from Egypt. Interesting as well are the piano, the billiard table and the theatre corner which reveal the owners' hobbies. Because this castle has been a hunting residence, there are a lot of interesting old hunting trophies, of which the most interesting is of course the stuffed bear. In the entrance hall there are ancient Roman tombstones and a large map of Carniola from 1744, which was made by an Italian monk. The wooden boat under the hanging wooden gangway is was used by the villagers to cross the flooded grasslands.
Funny to know is that Tito was a great fan of hunting. At one of his trips he slept over at Snežnik castle, because he could go hunting in its forests.
The gardens of the castle are great to walk through. There are two hiking routes close to the castle, the Krpan route and the European 6th route. The area is also great for cycling and horseback riding. Perhaps you will spot some of the Slovenian wild animals yourself.

Pivka
The Park of Military History (Kolodvorska cesta 5, Pivka) in Pivka is a museum and experiential centre. It hosts the national tank-artillery collection, which is exhibited and so offers visitors a unique view into the military-historical heritage of the country. Its purpose is education, research and exceptional experience.
The park hosts an exhibition about the several thousand years old fortification heritage of the region. The exhibition shows the visitors military history from the oldest periods of ancient history and the Middle Ages to contemporary history. The Latin name for the region Regio Carsica Militaris already suggests the military importance of the Karst region, which nickname is the open doors of Postojna. It has always been a strategic site due to its dominating high position and the important trade routes running through the multiple river basins of the region.  
If you make a reservation prior to visiting the museum, you can participate in spy games or play with remote control tanks. For bigger groups it is also possible to organise military demonstrations. Each year there are special military demonstrations in September.

Jugovzhodna Slovenija

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Jugovzhodna Slovenija is a statistical region in the southeast of Slovenia. It has about 2,675 km² and there live 139,095 people. The population grows steadily because of positive net migration, which is a result of the increasing amount of recreational areas in the region. A second reason is that it has the highest share of young people in Slovenia, about 15.8 %.

Novo mesto
The "Breg" area of Novo mesto is one of the most pictoresque places of the city. The name literally means ‘steep riverbank’, that is because the buildings of "Breg" were at first built on the rocks of the riverbanks of river Krka. Most houses were built in 1786 following the outline of the ruins of the medieval city walls, which still can be seen in the cellars of the houses. Because the people that lived in these houses were really poor, the housewives of "Breg" had to rent rooms to grammar school students until WW II and were therefore called "Student Moms". The roofs of the buildings parallel to the street were first covered up with wooden panels until the 20th century, when they were replaced by roof tiles. The area of Breg in Novo mesto has been declared a cultural monument of local importance by the Novo mesto Community.
High above the Old City, you can see the 15th century Gothic chapter cathedral of Saint Nicholas (stolnica Sv Nikolaja). It is one of the most important historical monuments of Novo mesto. The bell tower once has been a medieval defence tower. Imposing are the painted ceilings and the painting of Saint Nicholas, which was painted by the Venetian master Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594). If the church is closed, you can always ask for the keys at the Provost’s House (Proštija, Kapiteljska ulica 1), which is the yellow building to the northwest of the church. It was built in 1623.
Nice to visit is the Dolenjska Museum. The oldest building once housed the Knights of the Teutonic Order, but nowadays houses an archaeological collection of findings that were done in the suburb Kandija: a helmet from the 4th century BC,  a bronze pail decorated with hunting scenes and Celtic ceramics and jewellery.
The church of Saint Leonard and the monastery attached to it, were founded in 1472, when Franciscan monks fled for the Turks from Bosnia. Its library contains over 12,000 books.
South of the Provost’s House, there is a part of the 14th century medieval town walls.

Tourist information centre Novo mesto
Address: Glavni trg 6
telephone: +386 (0)7 39 39 263
e-mail: tic@novomesto.si