IRON AGE DANUBE ROUTE
SLOVENIA
Dolenjski Muzej Novo Mesto
Muzejska ulica 7, SI-8000 Novo mesto, Slovenia
Photo: Archive Dolenjski muzej Novo mesto - The Archaeological Image of Dolenjska. View on the exhibition.
Dolenjski muzej Novo Mesto was founded on 1 June in 1950. It is general regional museum. Initially one building, the museum complex now comprises four buildings, not counting the remote facilities of Jakac House and Kočevski rog. Today, the museum comprises seven permanent exhibitions, five curatorial departments, an education department, and a restoration workshop for archaeological artefacts. The museum’s gallery and the central exhibition area house large temporary exhibitions. With its rich and diverse exhibition program, research and publishing activities, as well as the diverse and systematic educational work, the museum is a valuable cultural and artistic centre of Novo mesto.
The rich archaeological material displayed in the permanent exhibition illuminates our knowledge about the life in the wider Dolenjska region from the prehistoric times to the Early Middle Ages. The archaeological material from the Early Iron Age can be counted among the most important specimens of cultural heritage on the European scale.
Highlights
The Archaeological Image of Dolenjska exhibition features many well-made, significant and attractive archaeological artefacts. Among the most outstanding are bronze figurally decorated situlae, which were discovered at the Kandija and Kapiteljska njiva sites in Novo mesto. In addition to amber and bronze jewellery, numerous multi-coloured glass beads were also discovered.
National Museum of Slovenia
Prešernova cesta 20, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Photo: National museum of Slovenia (photo: Blaž Gutman)
The National Museum of Slovenia, which was founded by the Carniolan State Parliament on the 15th of October 1821, is the oldest of all Slovenian museum institutions. Its six departments collect, document, preserve, and investigate the movable cultural heritage of Slovenia and present it to the public. Thanks to the exceptional educational level of its staff members, the museum also has the status of a research institution, and is involved in several scientific research projects focused on a more detailed study of the Slovenian cultural heritage. The quality of the museum activities in the central national museum depends on the staff and its consultants, with their excellent professional command of their fields and specific areas of specialization. Only through such an approach is it possible to present the cultural heritage of Slovenia to the public in a modern, attractive, and popular manner.
The museum wishes to illuminate in detail through the presentation of material (in the form of exhibitions and scientific and popular publications) individual segments of the history of present-day Slovenia and make this available to the widest possible public. With the digitalization of material and the construction of an electronic database about the cultural heritage that its preserves, the National Museum of Slovenia has joined similar European institutions that are attempting to enable the broadest possible access to items of the cultural heritage through the use of modern information technology.
HIGHLIGHTS
The oldest musical instrument in the world, a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute is a treasure of global significance. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by experts to have been made by Neanderthals.
A situla is a decorated bucket-shaped vessel. The most famous in Slovenia is Vače Situla, from Vače near Litija. Its quality design and craftsmanship in figurative representations make the situla one of the finest artefacts of the Iron Age situla art. It is even more important that it was crafted by a skilled local artisan in the first half of the 5th century BC.
Institute for Cultural Heritage Protection of the Republic of Slovenia
Poljanska cesta 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Slovenia (IPCHS) is a state-funded interdisciplinary research institute with a tradition of over 130 years of organized protection and preservation of immovable cultural heritage on the territory of Slovenia. From the very beginning, the focus of its activities has also been on successful cooperation, not only with other public institutions and authorities, but also with all public and private stakeholders concerned. Today, IPCHS is legally concerned with the protection, preservation, management and promotion of cultural heritage in all fields, including architecture, landscape, history, art history, ethnology and archaeology. The main objective of IPCHS is the development, coordination and implementation of numerous projects and procedures related to the direct conservation of cultural heritage and the prevention of damage, as well as the integration of cultural heritage into modern life and promotion, accompanied by the presentation of cultural heritage. In addition, IPCHS raises public awareness about preventive archaeology and cultural heritage in general through various activities, including exhibitions, publications, conferences and workshops for different audiences.
Beautiful Kras Institute
Gorjansko 32, SI-6223 Komen, Slovenia
Photo: A view of a cleaned part of Debela Griža, 2017. Photo: E. Skalamera
With its mighty semicircular defensive dry walls, the archaeological site Debela Griža near the village Volčji Grad in the Karst is one of the most photogenic and preserved Iron Age hill-forts between the Pannonian Basin and the Adriatic Sea.
The goals of the nonprofit Zavod Krasen Kras (Institute Beautiful Karst), established in 2014, is to raise awareness of the general public regarding the importance and protection of prehistoric hill-forts in the Karst. The institute has prepared several thematic exhibitions about the hill-forts. In 2018, it published an anthology Hill-Forts in Western and Central Slovenia and in 2020 the translation of the still essential work on prehistoric settlements The Prehistoric Hill-forts Of Trieste And The Giulia Region by Carlo Marchesetti. It also filmed two short promotional documentaries about Debela Griža (www.krasenkras.com).
Highlights
The institute carried out several complex non-destructive studies in collaboration with preservation agencies to identify the age of the hill-fort and investigate the lifestyles of its inhabitants. The collected data enables creation of stories to attract visitors. A pre-condition for the research was systematic removal of harmful vegetation. The cleaned areas allow the following activities:
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organising various cultural events within the hill-fort in collaboration with other establishments or societies;
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organising guided tours of Debela Griža, adapted to the visitors. On request, the tours are supplemented with a culinary experience.
Municipality of Hoče-Slivnica
Pohorska cesta 15 SI-2311 Hoče
The municipality of Hoče-Slivnica is located in the north-east of Slovenia, between Pohorje and Drava Plain, next to the second largest Slovenian city – Maribor. The municipality has an excellent strategic location and transport accessibility, as the 5th and 10th European transport corridors cross its territory. The municipality has the Maribor International Airport and two railway stations, which provide good access to tourist and commercial sites, as well as cultural and natural attractions. The tourist infrastructure is composed by both individual accommodation providers, well-known hotels with a long tradition, and rural tourism in Mariborsko Pohorje, as well as smaller service providers and craftsmen throughout the municipality. Many inns uphold the heritage of hospitality and good culinary offer. The municipality has practical experience in the promotion of historical and cultural heritage with projects for the preservation of the old Roman crypt, the Slivnica Manor House and the Hompoš Castle, as well as the exotic plant garden and the Ipavec family avenue connected with the Maribor University Botanic Garden. In addition to the archaeological exhibition at the Maribor University Botanic Garden, there are also several archaeological trails in the municipality, such as the Iron Age archaeological trails at the Poštela, Pivola and Čreta sites, and most of the municipality participates in the Archaeological Trail around Maribor and its surroundings.
“Highlights”
In 2018 and 2019, the Pivola Archaeological Trail and the exhibition "How they lived" were created at the most visited archaeological site in the municipality – the Early Iron Age Cemetery in the Maribor University Botanic Garden, as part of the international project PalaeoDiversiStyria.
The paved archaeological educational trail leading through the Iron Age barrow cemetery Pivola connects the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Maribor University Botanic Garden area with the presentation of Early Iron Age heritage. The educational trail, together with information panels, the archaeological exhibition, and the collection of autochthonous cultivated and useful plants, attracts primary school, secondary school, and university students, as well as teachers, local inhabitants and the wider public.
With the archaeological exhibition, you will gain new insights into the (pre)history of north-eastern Slovenia and Austrian Styria, from the Neolithic Period to the Middle Ages. The exhibition presents recent research findings in the fields of archaeology, archaeobotany, and archaeozoology in a modern and interactive way. The icing on the cake during your visit will be the reconstruction of an Early Iron Age house from more than 2700 years ago. You can discover more details about other historical remains at the Regional Museum Maribor (https://museum-mb.si/).
Municipality of Novo mesto
Seidlova cesta 1, SI-8000 Novo mesto, Slovenia
The municipality of Novo mesto, as the focal point of the Dolenjska Region, lies in the south-eastern part of Slovenia, near the border with Croatia, between two capitals: Ljubljana and Zagreb. There are approximately 37,300 people living in the municipality, with over 22,300 living in the town of Novo mesto. Novo mesto is the administrative, cultural, economic, educational, ecclesiastical, health and sports centre of the Dolenjska Region. The town is characterised by its exceptionally successful pharmaceutical, automotive, construction, textile, and other industries. That is why Novo mesto is called “the export capital of Slovenia”.
Novo mesto was awarded its town rights on 7 April 1365 by Duke Rudolf IV of Hapsburg. This date is also the municipal holiday. The geostrategic advantages and natural endowments of the area around the bend of the Krka River were already known to the Illyrians and Celts. The rich archaeological sites in Novo mesto have also made it known as the Town of Situlae. The superb archaeological heritage is one of the crucial elements of the town’s identity, placing Novo mesto on the world map of central Iron Age archaeological sites, especially the period from the 7th to the 5th century BC. Besides the precious archaeological sites, the town’s noteworthy gems include the Cathedral of St. Nicholas with Tintoretto’s painting of St. Nicholas, the Main Square with the Town Hall and the Kette Fountain, the Monastery with its rich library dating back to the 15th century and the picturesque Breg riverbank with condensed set of residential buildings built on the demolished medieval town walls.
In addition to the many attractions that Novo mesto holds, a visitor is always welcomed by friendly and kind citizens. Come and see for yourselves!
Zavod Situla – Institute For Cultural Heritage, Tourism And Culture
Dilančeva ulica 1, SI-8000 Novo mesto, Slovenia
Established in 2006, Zavod Situla is this year celebrating 15 years of being one of the key stakeholders in town of Novo mesto in the field of cultural heritage protection, youth tourism and event management. Hostel under its management can welcome over 70 guests in 18 units.
Slogan “Meet the Stories of a Distant past” is also a guideline for activities and a fundament on which youth tourism is promoted and developed. Inner design of a hostel is strictly related to motives of Hallstatt Period and can be sensed throughout the whole experience of a guest. Vision of the institute is to continue promoting youth tourism by emphasising cultural and heritage note.
Highlights
Main projects in cooperation with Municipality of Novo mesto and Lower Carniola Museum are focused on promoting the revival of a town centre. In that manner Zavod Situla successfully organised a 4-day film festival called “Cinema on the Square” and revived local market on the Main Square, where vendors like local farmers, artisans and crafters offered their products once a week.
Municipality of Zreče
Cesta na Roglo 13b 3214 Zreče, Slovenia
Zreče Municipality, with a surface area of 67 km² and 6,500 inhabitants, is listed as a medium-sized Slovenian municipality. It is highly oriented on tourism and industry and offers 4000 jobs.
Numerous archaeological findings discovered at Brinjeva Gora and Gračič testify to the first settlements in the area of Zreče, while the first written sources appeared as early as the 10th century in the Early Middle Ages, when Zreče was divided into several church and secular farms. When it comes to towns, the most important was the town of Freudenberg, located on a hill below Brinjeva Gora.
In Zreče, sawmills, mills, glassworks, wood industry, small mines and especially blacksmithing began to sprout very early, and after the First World War, a real blacksmithing industry was developed. Nowadays, Zreče is known for its developed economy thanks to the activities of the companies Unior d.d., Unitur d.o.o., Weiler abrasives d.o.o. and GKN Driveline Slovenija d.o.o., as well as for its agriculture, while the development of small businesses is an important factor in the overall economic growth of the municipality.
In recent decades, tourism has become the most important industry in Zreče Municipality. Rogla Climate and Tourist Resort, located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, as well as the Zreče Thermal Spa have been developed there, but the municipality also boasts a rich cultural and private tourism offer, which complements the overall tourism offer of the municipality with private hotels, picnic and tourist farms and apartments.
University of Maribor Botanic Garden
Pivola 10, 2311 Hoče, Slovenia
http://fkbv2.um.si/index.php/en/
University of Maribor Botanical Garden invites visitors to explore the world of plants and history. Authentic and foreign flora is presented here, especially some floristic rarities of the Pohorje Mountain range and other parts of North Eastern Slovenia. It also holds many horticultural collections, provides places for meetings, relaxation, learning and playing. The garden is a scientific and research institution, open to the public. Visitors can also learn about the history and archaeology of the region by taking the Archaeological trail leading through an Early Iron Age burial mound cemetery or visit the archaeological exhibition, both located within the garden grounds.
University of Maribor Botanical Garden spreads over an area of about 16 hectares and is a part of a larger agricultural estate maintained by the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The first steps towards planting a botanic garden were made in 1994 and many plant collections were added since 1996. Since 1999, the garden has been a member of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International society. The garden has been opened for visitors for the first time on the 24th of May 2002, celebrating the European Parks Day.
The garden is divided into seven bigger units, each one of them presenting a plant collection or a special kind of habitat. The best time to visit botanic garden is in the spring: a collection of over one hundred different daffodils are in bloom in April; collections of Iris and Rhododendron bloom in May and in June, when the garden is the most colourful. In the summer the garden invites you in the cool shade of trees and offers many magnificent roses. Autumn time invites to see flowers, fruits and colourful autumn leaves. For prebooked groups it is possible to visit the garden all year around, but for individual visits, the garden is open from 21st of March till the end of November.
Bela Krajina Museum Metlika
Trg svobode 4
8330, Metlika, Slovenia
It has been seventy years since the Bela Krajina Museum in Metlika first started fulfilling its important mission. It has now evolved into a distinguished institution, the only one of its kind in Bela Krajina. Through diligent documentation and engaging presentation of local heritage, it strives to command respect for this culturally diverse and historically significant space.
As a link between the past and the present, the museum helps bolster national consciousness and regional identity through educational processes of its permanent and temporary exhibitions, publishing activity, and pedagogic and andragogic popularization programmes. Its location on the border further increases its responsibility to preserve heritage.
The Bela Krajina Museum’s strategies are centred on people and based on the awareness that the museum is an important nexus of cultural life, which enriches the quality of life. This is why we have thus far focused much of our attention on updating our permanent exhibitions in the Oton Župančič Memorial House in Vinica, the Museum House in Semič, and Kambič Gallery in Metlika. As for right now, the museum’s employees are faced with perhaps their greatest challenge of simultaneously concluding the renovation of the Metlika Castle and developing an updated and expanded permanent exhibition Reflections of Bela Krajina Across Seven Millennia, which will also include a new exhibition titled The Archaeological Treasures of Bela Krajina.
Maribor Regional Museum
Grajska ulica 2
2000 Maribor, Slovenija
The first museum in Maribor was opened in 1903 by the Museum Association, which, after the First World War, merged its collections with the collections of the Historical Association and the collection of the Diocese of Lavant Museum. In 1938, the collections were moved to Maribor Castle, where they are kept until today. After more than a century, the number of collected museum objects exceeds 100,000 items. The museum objects from the fields of archaeology, ethnology, art and general cultural history were collected mainly in the northeast of Slovenia, but some collections also contain exhibits from the entire territory of Slovenia. The permanent exhibition displays those objects that best represent the cultural and historical identity of the region from the Neolithic to the present day.
The permanent archaeological exhibition First Touch is located in the northern part of the ground floor of the western part of the castle. The content of the exhibition is based on a brief outline of the historical development of archaeological research, followed by a chronological presentation of individual prehistoric and historical periods with all the phenomena represented by material remains in the area under consideration.
Tolmin Museum
Mestni trg 4
5220 Tolmin, Slovenia
The rich archaeological, ethnological, historical, artistic and cultural heritage of the upper Soča region is on display at the permanent and occasional exhibitions in the Tolmin Museum, which is domiciled at the Coronini Manor in the centre of Tolmin since 1950. In addition to the collections and exhibitions in the main building the Tolmin Museum also maintains several external collections and monuments. It operates in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid and Bovec.
The main Museums exhibition is The Soča region and its historical deposits. Archaeological presentation shows the Soča region in the period from the Early Stone Age to the arrival of the Slavs who finalize the ethnic semblance of the area. The narrative of the historical and ethnological part is based on the architectural and ethnological traditions of the region, its traditional farming practice on mountain pastures and cheese-making tradition. Among the historically significant events are the Tolmin Peasant Uprising of 1713, and the rise of national consciousness at the end of the 19th century. What follows is an original presentation of living in The Upper Soča Valley throughout the 19th and 20th century, and a collection of local art.
