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Kolpa River
Kolpa River need arose - paying back the latter with a steep 50% ‘interest’ the following harvest. A novel system of keeping track of the accounts using long wooden sticks with lines carved into them was devised. Extra wine from the cellar was also sold, with all the proceeds going to things such as maintain pathways, renovating the town church and paying for funerals. Due to the accounting involved the cellar is often referred to the town’s Wine Bank. Visits to the cellar can be arranged in advance.
Vinska Vigred www.vinskavigred.com. In a region known for its wine, the Vinska Vigred festival is the largest wine event in Bela Krajina, attracting thousands visitors to Metlika’s old town over three days during the third weekend in May each year. First held more than 30 years ago, the event began strictly as a wine fair for exhibiting and tasting local wines, but it has since grown into a multi-faceted cultural festival as well. Nowadays the festival boasts three separate stages for music, folklore and other performances, and various smaller stands presenting traditional handicrafts, artistic products and of course lots and lots of wine - there are over 300 different types, so if you plan to try them all, you’d better pace yourself! One thing visitors need not worry about is drinking up an appetite, as there is also lots of tasty food on hand, including roasted lamb, suckling pigs and of course plenty of freshly baked Belokranjska pogača flat bread.
Kambič Gallery Cesta Bratstva in Enotnosti 51, tel. +386 (0)7 305 8332, belokranjski-muzej@guest.arnes. si. The namesake of this gallery happens to be a collector, whose birthhouse it is now housed in. Vinko Kambič (19202001), a doctor, professor and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana, and Vilma Bukovec Kambič, his wife and opera singer, were something of conoisseurs of Slovene impressionists and aggregated names such as Kos, Kregar, Pavlovec, Perko and Pogačnik. To be found on the ground floor and in the attic, respectively, are the temporary exhibitions of works by lesser known artists and the memorial of the collectors and former proprietors. Being managed by the Bela Krajina Museum and owned by the Municipality of Metlika, Kambič is well-run and a pleasure to experience as a visitor. Otok’s DC-3 If you’re driving from Metlika to Črnomelj and
see something out of the corner of your eye to the left beyond golden wheat fields, rest assured that you’re not hallucinating, that is in fact an actual WWII-era Douglas DC-3 - or to be more precise, it’s technically a modified DC-3 that was referred to as a C-47 Skytrain or Dakota. What is the plane doing in this otherwise normal-looking field? Decommissioned by the Yugoslav National Army in the years following the war, it was placed here to commemorate all of the American and British soldiers who used such planes to fly wounded partisan fighters from a makeshift airport in the liberated territory of Bela Krajina to Allied hospitals in Italy. Rumour has it that when the plane was first set here, it contained all of its original equipment, which then slowly disappeared over the years. Regardless of whether or not this
A bird’s eye view of Metlika’s compact old town, photo by Dunja Wedam, Archive STB
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The numerous dams along the Kolpa river used to provide power for mills, but now mainly provide excitement for rafters, photo by YMB is actually true, the exterior of the plane has recently been restored, and looks as if it could still take flight if the moment called for it. The real mystery for us is not the status or history of the mighty flying machine, but the fact that no one seems to know how or why the nearby village of Otok (meaning island in Slovene) got its name.
Slovenian Firefighters’ Museum Trg Svobode 5,
tel. +386 (0)7 305 86 97, muzej@gasilec.net, www. metlika.si. In August 1969, the doors were first opened on this museum dedicated to the historical heritage of firefighting in Slovenia. The date was chosen as it marked the 100th anniversary of the formation of Slovenia’s very first volunteer firefighters’ association right here in Metlika. Located in two separate buildings, both of which are just steps away from Metlika’s castle in the heart of the old town, the vast collection is arranged chronologically. The first gallery covers the founding and development of firefighting in Slovenia with lots of well-presented pre-WWI photos from associations all over the country, as well as memorabilia and light equipment such as helmets, uniforms and medals. In the next hall a similar collection presents the years from WWI to WWII and beyond, while some old fire engines and other heavy equipment is displayed in the basement. The second building, which is to the right of the castle’s entrance, contains an even larger collection of fire engines and equipment, including one fire engine dating all the way back to 1836 (which at first may not even be recognisable as a fire engine), and another from 1908 that was steam-powered and built in Vienna. The museum is officially named in honour of Dr Branko Božič, who was the long-time president of the Firefighting Association of Slovenia and the driving force behind the museum’s establishment.
Soseska Zidanica Drašiči Drašiči 41, tel. +386 (0)41 753 017/+386 (0)31 306 180, www.soseskadrasici. net. Outdating the founding of socialist Yugoslavia by nearly two centuries, the Soseska Zidanica in the village of Drašiči (or Neighbourhood Wine Cellar as it translates to in English) developed a community-wide system for sharing wine and raising funds for community projects at the same time. As with many great ideas, this one was born out of necessity, as it was often the case that at times of big events (namely weddings) individual families did not have a large enough supply of their own wine to meet the demands of thirsty guests. Thus is was agreed that a communal wine cellar should be established, from which every member was free to make ‘deposits’ when they had extra wine and take ‘withdrawals’ if the eden-slovenia.inyourpocket.com
Tri Fare Pilgrimage in Rosalnice Tel. +386 (0)7 305 83 31. A prominant pilgrimage site, Rosalnice’s three Gothic churches have been suggested to date from perhaps the 12th century (on account of Valvasor and others). Situated in the northeastern part of the village of Rosalnice (near Metlika), the site is ringed by a high wall. The northern of the three, The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, is the largest and probably earliest although specific dates are debated. It also has one of the oldest pipe organs in Slovenia and some unique frescoes. Building features of the central, Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) Church, suggest it dates from the late 15th or early 16th century, and elements were added including a prominant belfry in the 17th century. The southern church is that of Our Lady of Lourdes, Valvasor being the first to mention it in 1689, although grafitti recently found suggests the construction is much older. The historical timeline of the churches is long and complex, but as a pilgrim site its height of significance seems to be in the 18-19th centuries, when those of both Catholic and Orthodox faith congregated here. Guided tours of the churches can be arranged. Entrance is free of charge. Vinomer Birch Trees Although Bela Krajina’s famous birch trees are not as abundant as they were centuries ago, when the region was given its name in part because of the vast white forests that grew here, there are still areas covered with them. The most popular spot to view the trees (called breza in Slovene) is along the road between Metlika and Drašiči, where the sight of the thin white trunks is made all the more intense by the sea of pillowy green ferns that blanket the entire area. These can grow as high as 2m, but when they’re cut in the late summer each year it looks almost like a golf course. The forest is part of Metlika’s protected Natura 2000 site, and is also several interesting plant and animal species including Ural Owl. Vinska Klet Metlika Cesta XV. Brigade 2, tel. +386 (0)7 363 7000, info@kz-metlika.si, www.kz-metlika.si. One of the images most strongly associated with Metlika, and indeed all of Bela Krajina, is the bottle of dry red Metliška Črnina wine and its label depicting a human pyramid with three gentlemen dressed in the traditional white linen costumes of the region. A ubiquitous sight in supermarkets across the country, the wine is produced by Vinska Klet Metlika, which is part of a larger farm cooperative called Kmetijska Zadruga Metlika. Working with some 200 individual wine growers with vineyards in the sun-soaked hills of Bela Krajina, in addition to Metliška
The sun-soaked hills around Bela Krajina provide the perfect climate for producing award-winning wine, photo by YMB
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Rafting on the Kolpa Rafting or canoeing (or travelling in any other water-born vessel for that matter) down the Kolpa river during the summer is just about one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a day anywhere in Slovenia. Whitewater rafting this is not, so adrenaline junkies may wish to look elsewhere, but for the rest of us a slow trip along the water allows ample time for appreciating the surrounding environment and stopping at various points to swim, visit attractions, have a picnic or explore. The upper sections of the river keep a slightly less meandering pace and the water is a few degrees cooler than the 30°C or more it can reach further downstream. There are over 50 dams along the route that do provide a bit of excitement, but the key word on a Kolpa rafting trip is relaxation. To arrange a trip you can contact one of the agencies below directly, or call or email one of the local tourist informations centres and they can help with all the arrangements as well as providing recommendations for what may best suit you.
Kolpa Adventures Srednji Radenci 2, Stari Trg
ob Kolpi, tel. +386 (0)41 518 536/+386 (0)51 205 159, info@kolpa-adventures.com, www.kolpaadventures.com. Kolpa Raft Laze Pr Predgradu 1a, Stari Trg ob Kolpi, tel. +386 (0)41 426 110/+386 (0)1 8943 754, skender@kolparaft.com, www.kolparaft.com. Kolpa Rafting (Alen Klarič s.p.) Potok 4, Kostel, tel. +386 (0)41 806 355, raftingkolpa@gmail.com, www.raftingkolpa.com. Stari Pod Jankovič Gorenjci Pri Adlešičih 15, Adlešiči, tel. +386 (0)7 30 70 315/+386 (0)41 880 330, kolpas@siol.net, www.kolpas.si. Črnina and a white called Belokranjec - both of which are protected and certified by the Ministry of Agriculture under the PTP label - the cooperative produces a wide variety of more than a dozen regular wines, as well as a selection of special vintages such as extra sweet ice and dry grape wines. While the red Metliška Črnina is produced from a combination of Blue Franconian (60%) and the autochthonous Zametna Črnina (30%) grape varieties, the majority of wines here are actually white. Tastings and tours of the facilities can be arranged in advance for groups of up to 55 people.
Vinska Klet Prus Krmačina 6, tel. +386 (0)41 690
112/+386 (0)7 30 59 098, info@vinaprus.si, www.vinaprus.si. If you follow the road past Drašiči to the even smaller village of Krmačina just before the Croatian border, you’ll find one of the most decorated wine producers in all of Slovenia: Vinska Klet Prus. Of the numerous awards that the vineyard has won over the past decade and a half (including several Decanters), the passionate and excitable owner Jožef Prus is most proud of the all-around Best Slovene Winemaker award he has taken home for the past three years (2009-2011) and counting. Awarded at the prestigious Gornja Radgona Wine Fair, the prize is given not for a single wine, but is based on the aggregate scores received by a producer’s entire selection. Although all of wine here is indeed of the highest quality, thanks to the vineyards’ position at the top of some of Bela Krajina’s highest, sunniest hills, the speciality of the winery is undoubtedly sweet whites, namely Rumeni Muškat, as well as even sweeter late harvest and ice wines, which are frequently included by the State Protocol Services during formal events at Brdo pri Kranju. The wine cellar and production facilities were completely rebuilt in 2009, and can now accommodate tastings of up to 60 people or more.
2012/13
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