Your Bela Krajina Triangles of Happiness Part 3

If you missed the previous two sets of Bela Krajina tours, you can read them here and here, and now we're giving you some more ideas for exploring Bela Krajina.

Lahinja Landscape Park - baking Črnomelj pretzel - culture under the canopy

Discover one of the smallest landscape parks in Slovenia, where you can not only discover the natural features on the border of the Karst world, but also the architectural heritage of the central part of Bela Krajina. Start in Veliki Nerajc, where you can get a map of the park or a whole rucksack if you go on Oton's Adventure with your child. Walk around the park, discover the springs and wetlands, watch the birds on the lichens, and see how the low karst world here is full of water. The Lahinja Spring used to be a source of water for watering cattle, washing clothes, and drawing water for households. They also came from more distant villages to fetch water, as there used to be no piped water, which was a big problem in the permeable karst.

Once you've conquered the park, you've also mastered the skill of making prest. In the old town centre of Črnomelj, opposite St Peter's Church, you will find the Belokranjsko Izročilo Museum. Inside, there is a small kitchen, old kitchen objects and utensils, each with its own story. Bernarda will be happy to tell you each one as you knead the dough for Črnomelj pretzels, which gave the inhabitants of Črnomelj the name "PRESTARJI". Since time immemorial, the women of Črnomelj have been enterprising, selling their dough and competing to see which one bakes the best. And you? Will you outdo the old Črnomelj women?

When you have finished the pretzels, come to Griček, to Kultura pod Krošnjami. The cultural programme takes place on Thursdays during the summer, but if you come in spring, autumn, or after winter, you can still see something great. On Griček, at the top of a small hill, there is also a large NOB (National Liberation Front) memorial, made by Jakob Savinšek in 1961 for 1250 fallen fighters and victims of fascism from the White Landscape. Next to it is a tomb with the remains of the fallen fighters.

Black Olm - Otovec Viaduct - Vizir Brewery

The cousin of the white olm is special. Because of its habitat in the Jelševniščica Spring, where the sun still shines, it has retained its pigment, which is why it is black. It also has well-developed eyes, whereas the eyes of the white olm, which lives in dark caves, are stunted. The very location of the Black Olm Info Centre or the Zupančič Farm is divine, with the aforementioned stream running between the houses, which also provides a fish farm. The Info Centre teaches you about the fragility of this animal, which can only be observed in its natural habitat here.

See the 225-metre-long viaduct at Otovec. Construction began before World War I to connect Novo Mesto with Bela Krajina. The original viaduct was built of broken stones and had 12 arches. The seventh arch and the fifth arch were connected by a 50-metre-long steel structure. The viaduct was destroyed by partisans in October 1943, thus preventing the invaders from using the railway. After the war, the viaduct was rebuilt, and the original steel structure was replaced by two additional concrete columns.
The viaduct is a great spot for photography, especially at sunrise. But underneath it lies the Otovec bank, where the karst world of Bela Krajina has created a spring with a stream that dips again after two metres.

Head towards the village of Lokve, home to the oldest kraft brewery in Slovenia - VIZIR. Maja and Denis met at university, both graduated in wine, then turned everything upside down and started making beer. They created more than 20 different beer flavours - from simple lagers, to the complex Maximus with 9% alcohol, crazy combinations with potatoes, beans, chestnuts and on and on.

Honey tasting - Smuk - Stone Forest

One of the recipients of the Belokranjsko label is Semič beekeeper Bojan Pavlin. The Pavlin family beekeeping is an established name in honey and honey products. They have been beekeeping for more than 50 years, have a wealth of experience, and their products have always been known as high quality. Honey and honey products are organically produced and certified organic.

After a healthy, sweet start, head for the hills. From the beekeeper past the market town centre of Semič, past the bench of love, from where you have a beautiful view of Semič and beyond. A signposted path leads through the trees to the top of Smuk Hill, where you'll see the hunting lodge, the paragliding runway, the church of St. Lawrence and an old branching oak tree that has witnessed numerous pilgrimages, the gathering of the Semič Company and the First Bela Krajina Partisan Company, the building of the hunting lodge and the dormouse hut. The oak is a tree with an extremely strong energy field. It symbolises dignity, strength, and courage.

Descend back down to the valley from Smuk on foot or fly by paraglider or kite. The Smuk airstrip is also suitable for beginners. Smuk is also a popular take-off point for paragliding enthusiasts from other regions of Slovenia, as the hill allows them to make long flights across the whole of Slovenia in easterly and south-easterly winds. Flights to the Slovenian Karst and even to Tolmin have been recorded on several occasions.

The Stone Forest is an exceptional karst phenomenon. The karst landscape of Bela Krajina is also characterised by large, undulating and rounded stones, which stick out of the ground. These large pieces of limestone, which protrude to the surface, usually extend quite deep into the ground. Such a 'stone forest' can be seen on the hill above Vrtača near Semiču, a good kilometre in the direction of Semiča towards Jugorje. You can see real rocky ridges, but also isolated rocks several metres high. On some of the stones of the rocky forest, you can even see the remains of ancient rudist shells. Local people with their sheep keep this natural landmark from becoming overgrown.

Simonič Sparkling Wine - Exhibitions - a walk among herbs

The most famous is Semiška Penina, which also has a cellar dedicated to it in Semič, where guests are welcomed for tastings. At the end of the 1990s, Ivan Simonič decided to turn his attention to the production of sparkling wines and became the first private producer of sparkling wines in Bela Krajina. This is how Semiška Penina saw the light of day in 2000. All the sparkling wines are produced exclusively according to the classic method, with a second fermentation in the bottle. The sparkling wines are matured in the bottle for 18 months. The Semič Sparkling Wine Cellar is well worth a visit. You'll certainly buy a bottle for yourself.

Since the bubbles have got you hooked, it's time to head to the Semič Cultural Centre in the centre of Semič, where you can always see a temporary exhibition in the lobbies of the Bela Krajina Cultural Centre. Semič Culture Centre is the centre of the diverse cultural pulse of the municipality of Semič and the wider Bela Krajina area. Its auditorium, with comfortable seating and a large flexible stage and modern audio-visual equipment, is used for theatre performances and other events such as forums, conferences, expert lectures, and more.

After the exhibition, take the beautiful and well-kept street to the Dr. Derganec Learning Garden. A small garden hidden among the houses in Semič offers shelter from the people with a beautiful view of the bell tower of St. Stephen's. The Learning Garden has medicinal herbs planted, fruit trees growing around them, insect hotels, and a circular path leading past everything. In a small vineyard, a vine is planted, descended from the oldest vine in Slovenia

Gradac Castle - Kučar Hill - Bela Krajina Finest

The bend of the Lahinja River, flowing from Črnomelj, embraces the mighty Gradac Castle, which still defies time and is one of the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Bela Krajina, offering a high degree of privacy. It is located on a beautiful islet surrounded by a slow-moving river, and access to the entire estate is only possible via a bridge. The castle has been declared a cultural monument of national importance. In the 17th century, the Gusič family built a beautiful park next to the Lahinja River, next to the castle. The most prominent feature of the park was the beautiful tree promenade made of spruce and plane trees. There is also a tomb next to the remnants of the park. In the collection of folk tales by Lojze Zupanec, there is a story about the origin of the coat of arms of this castle.

A combination of nature and archaeology awaits you at Kučar Hill. Before you climb up, take a look at the Church of St Helena. Where can you find it? From the Veselič Inn, head forward where you see bumps on the ground, which is where you see the Church of St Helena on its back. The hump is a burial mound. There are many such hillocks around Podzemelj and Kučar, about 70, because there was a large settlement here in the Iron Age. The Iron Age inhabitants of Bela Krajina developed a material culture of their own by the beginning of the Younger Iron Age. Make a circle over the top of Kučar and come back to cross the threshold of the Veselič Inn and enjoy authentic Bela Krajina cuisine.

Veselič Inn has been awarded the Bela Krajina Finest Certificate for its Bela Krajina Pogača, cheese strudels with homemade cottage cheese, Bela Krajina Dumplings, lamb, strudel soup with smoked trout, and more. In addition to Bela Krajina Finest, they have been involved from the very beginning in the Tastes of Bela Krajina, where they showcase their culinary specialities every year.

Airplane DC 3 - Kambič Gallery - Prus Wine Cellar

On the road between Podzemlje and Metlika, there is a big plane in the middle of a field, and you won't miss it. During World War II, it was used to transport the wounded to Dalmatia, but now it attracts the curious in the middle of the surrounding fields. The Douglas C-47 Dakota, or civilian version DC-3, is a transport aircraft dating back to the Second World War. The twin-engine, four-crew propeller aircraft is of American origin. After it retired from service in 1980, the JVL Command in Belgrade gave its approval for the installation of the aircraft as a museum memorial. The aircraft is the only surviving example in Slovenia. Its uniqueness and significance make it of utmost importance for Slovenian military history. The aircraft is erected on the site in memory of the partisan airfields and airstrips in Slovenia during the NOB (National Liberation Front).

Kambič Gallery is a space for art in Bela Krajina. It is a permanent collection of objects and paintings collected by Vinko Kambič and his wife, Vilma Bukovec. There is always a new exhibition on the lower floor.

Finish your day with a wine tasting in one of the most famous wine cellars in Bela Krajina - the Prus Wine Cellar. Four generations of Jožef Prus' have been successfully running the winery for decades. You can taste the aromatic Prus wines on guided tasting tours of the large underground cellar and also visit the carefully guarded wine bank, where you can store and lock the best vintages

22.7.2024
Author: Tamara Lončarič, DMO Bela krajina