Monuments to visit Northwest

The museum is the only part of the castle that can be visited. Mentioned as early as 1215, it was severely damaged by the earthquake of 1511. It was bought back and renovated by the Ursulines at the end of the ^19th century. The museum showcases local handicrafts and several rooms recounting the history of the site. Works by the great Slovenian painter Ivan Grohar are on display, along with reproductions of medieval frescoes and period furniture.

The viaduct with its railway track has an 85 m arch. Inaugurated in 1906, it was then the largest in Europe. The bridge over the Soča was built in 1985 and is used to drive to Goriška Brda. You will cross a little more than 1 km of Italian territory with a plunging view on Soča. It was mined by the Austrian army during the First World War. Heavily damaged after the attack on Kobarid in October 1917, it had to be repaired from 1918 onwards, partly by Italy. It is forbidden to stop on this bridge.

This fountain was made in the famous studio of Ivan Vurnik, an artist from the city, known for having opened the first school of architecture in the country. The statue itself is by Jožef Pavlin. It is a strong tribute to the financial and personal commitment of Josipina Hočevar (1824-1911) to access to education. At that time, it was very rare for a statue to be dedicated to a woman. It depicts a schoolboy holding a medallion depicting Josipina and a textbook in his hands.

It is located in the south-east of the city, a few hundred metres from the centre: it is the largest wood water wheel in Europe with a diameter of 13.60 m. It is more than two hundred and twenty years old. It was in operation until 1948 and pumped water from the mines to a depth of 283 m, at a rate of 2 m³ per minute. Its mechanism is still in a very good state of conservation today. The objective of this technical innovation was to allow miners to access the most isolated areas of the mine. Not to be missed!

The Zaprice Castle, built in the 14th century, has been the home of the town's inter-municipal museum since 1961. Among the interesting sights are a scholarly development of pastoral life in Velika Planina over the centuries and a permanent exhibition on the prestigious place of Kamnik in the Middle Ages. Another exhibition is devoted to the presentation of the latest archaeological excavations in the locality. Temporary exhibitions are presented and renewed several times a year.

The library contains more than 10,000 works from the 17th and 18th centuries, including a copy of the Dalmatin Bible, quite simply the first book in history translated into Slovenian! There are very few copies left in the world. To enter the library, enter the convent and feel free to knock on doors. A Franciscan monk will be pleased to help you discover the hidden treasures of this library, including a collection of some twenty original works printed locally.

This library is absolutely beautiful and worth a visit! It contains a large number of old Slovenian-language books that are part of the national literary heritage. The manuscript of The Passion of Škofja Loka, published in 1721, is particularly interesting. It is the oldest play written in the Slovenian language. Don't miss the staging of this famous text in the streets of the medieval city!

An ethnological monument from the end of the 19th century that commemorates the work and memory of the writer. Ciril Kosmač is a well-known figure in Slovenian literature. His French-language book Une journée de printemps was a great success in the 1950s. He recounts his youthful memories that resurface on his return to his native land after fifteen years of exile, with an ease with words reminiscent of Marcel Proust. In his childhood home we find his desk and drafts of his early writings.

During the Second World War, a 1,300 m long tunnel was built under the old town to protect the population from Allied bombing. You can visit the labyrinth in an unusual way, as occasional exhibitions are held here. In two permanent exhibitions you can see minerals, fossils and a reconstruction of the World War II bunker, in which you can even experience the simulation of an air raid.

Its origins remain largely unknown, but it is known that the bridge has existed for more than a millennium. Rebuilt in 1750, the Napoleonov Most is a bridge offering a breathtaking view of the beautiful turquoise blue river Soča. It is therefore an ideal place to take beautiful pictures of this typically Slovenian landscape. But it is also a historical site that was on Napoleon's path during his conquests, hence the name that has been given to it. It has long been a strategic place to defend the region during the two world wars in the 20th century.

The remains of the Kamen Castle stand in the north of the town. There are still some walls, the tower and part of the surrounding wall. This ruin, the most imposing of the Upper Carniola, gives an idea of what the castle might have been, having fallen into disuse. The Lamberger family, one of whose descendants, Sigismund, became the first bishop of Ljubljana. It also belonged to the family of the Counts of Celje for several generations. It was abandoned in the 18th century for reasons that are still unclear.

The origin is very old since a building already existed at the end of the 15th century to protect against the Ottoman invader. It was first destroyed by the untimely assaults of Napoleon's troops at the very beginning of the 19th century. Its present appearance dates back to 1883, following its first reconstruction. The upper part was heavily damaged during the First World War. The ensemble is impressive and the interior well transformed into a museum.

The hotel is a state-owned property that provides accommodation for the world's leading figures during their official visits to Slovenia. The whole beautiful estate, with its pleasant park and ponds, was in the hands of the aristocratic Zois family for a century and a half. The Yugoslav royal family (1930s) and Marshal Tito fell in love with this Renaissance castle. Even today, it is the privileged place for international diplomatic meetings. There is a walking path around it, accessible by bicycle or pedestrian for a total distance of 10 km.