Things to see and do Northeast

The white church and its surprising bell tower which lets you guess its author, Jože Plečnik of course. It is transformed in 1925-1927. The old part of the 14th century with its portal and the capitals are then inserted into the new building. Pillars, altar and pulpit are made of marble from Podpeč. The architect Jože Plečnik has integrated pottery, a traditional local but also universal and millennial know-how. Ceramic plates decorate the oak ceiling while amphoras frame the main altar. An amazing step!

Inaugurated in September 2016, the Žalec beer fountain is a symbol of the importance of hop growing in the region. You can taste six different local beers! A new attraction not to be missed for beer lovers. Among other things, it was awarded the Sejalec 2017 prize for tourism innovation. The site is home to the world's first self-service beer fountain. Get your pint glass and let's go!

Here is the oldest vineyard in the world. It backs onto the original wall dating from 1657. The city still manages to produce about 50 kilos a year for prestigious gifts for celebrities visiting the region. All the wines of the region are offered for tasting and sale in this small museum where you can also find other souvenirs but above all the history of this exceptional grape variety: Zametna Crnina or Modra Kavcina. Nice map of the vineyard.

The oldest part of this extensive castle dates from the ^10th or ^11th century, in particular the west tower. Owned by the bishops of Salzburg at the end of the ^11th century, the building passed to the lords of Pettau (Ptuj) in 1132, who ruled for three centuries until the death of the last descendant, Friedrich IX, in 1438. The complex underwent major transformations. Among the many occupants were the Scottish Leslie family, who bought the castle from the destitute Jesuits from 1656 to 1802, and the von Herberstein family, who owned it privately for the last time from 1873 to 1945, acquiring it at auction.

The entrance portal, named the Peruzzi portal after the architect who renovated the castle until 1572, is surmounted by an attic featuring lions framing the Leslie family coat of arms, three belt buckles. The courtyard is bordered by fine arcades on three levels, with pillars on the first floor and Tuscan columns on the upper floors. Friedrich IX's Salzburg red marble tombstone is one of the most famous of the Gothic period.

The museum boasts a remarkable collection of ^18th- and ^19th-century musical instruments on the first floor (processional organ with bellows, harp, lute, clavichord, Bosendorfer piano). In front of each display case, you can listen to a short musical moment recorded on the instrument of your choice. The Salle des Chevaliers houses a collection of ^17th-century Flemish and French tapestries, furniture, a collection of weapons dating from the ^14th to the ^19th century and, above all, one of the most important collections of Oriental portraits on the Old Continent. Under the brushstrokes of anonymous ^17th-century painters, European monarchs take on the appearance of their Turkish counterparts. The Leslie family coat of arms bears the motto: Grip fast, meaning "hold fast". Walter Leslie was awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece for his victories in the Thirty Years' War and his career as a diplomat in the service of the Emperor.

Curiosities include the ^17th-century chapel with its off-axis altar, the Herberstein family clock collection, a secretary with marble and semi-precious stone marquetry, and the room lined with "chinoiseries". With carnival masks and kurent, the visit takes on an ethnographic profile. The museum also features works by France Mihelič (1907-1998).

As soon as you arrive in Celje, your gaze is naturally drawn to this monument. It gives the impression of watching over the city. The castle, truly well-preserved, perfectly embodies the image of medieval castles: walls, loopholes, keep and inner courtyards. The walls offer a good view of Celje, and the medieval torture mini-theater included in the tour will give you the chills. Numerous festivities are organized here, including a medieval festival with a gargantuan feast and concerts throughout the summer.

Visible from the small town, this medieval landmark has kept its features after renovation. Built in the middle of the 12th century, it is first mentioned in 1213. On the first floor, historical presentation of the site and engravings from Visher Topographia Ducatus Stirie's book, which lists the castles in the area. In the basement there is a collection of glass objects from Rogaška Slatina from the Kozjansko region. Beautifully renovated since 1983 under the auspices of the Kozjansko Regional Park, the castle is one of the most intimate in the country.

A tropical garden with a humid and warm atmosphere that includes nearly a thousand exotic plants. The garden is well-designed, lush and has small educational workshops to help you better understand how the finished product is obtained from the raw plant - examples of the pepper and coffee plant. Superb orchid garden - more than 4,000 in total with an unsuspected number of varieties - too. A moment of total change of scenery guaranteed!

Ruins of the former Carthusian monastery. Founded in 1160, Žiče has remained virtually unchanged since then. You can see this in the church, whose roof collapsed in 1840. Žiče remained a medical centre for a long time, until it was dissolved.

The twelve Carthusian monks who settled there were originally from France. The monastery was the first to be founded outside the Latin world.

It is surrounded by ramparts of which a restored defence tower remains. Dissolved in 1782 by Emperor Joseph II, it passed into the hands of the Counts of Windischgrätz, who were the last owners. The Gothic chapel dates from 1469. At Spitalič lived converse brothers who were in contact with the inhabitants, unlike the Carthusian monks who respected a very strict rule.

Surrounded by forests, the old monastery is a place of meditation. The surrounding calm is soothing. The renovated buildings and the ruins of the other buildings are a source of imagination. The small museum is lulled by Carthusian songs. Today a herbalist's shop has been rebuilt in order to (re) discover artisanal therapeutic mixtures made from medicinal plants. The place is worth a visit for the sumptuous panorama it offers and to discover more about the French past of the monastery. For the bravest, a hiking trail starts from Slovenske Konjice and arrives here, it takes a good hour's walk.

The castle was built in the early 17th century by the Carthusian monks of the monastery of Žiče. In 1828 it became the property of the Windischgrätz family. The chapel has a ceiling decorated with angel heads, leaves and stucco medallions. The Church of the Three Wise Men dates from the 16th century. It was built near Velika vrh (1,347 m) and is mentioned by Jože Tomažič in his tales and legends. A nice visit that should delight lovers of history and architecture.

The Counts of Celje are of particular interest in building Slovenia's identity, as evidenced by the inclusion of the three stars of the Counts of Celje on the national flag. The exhibition begins in the basement with a visit to Celeia, the "Slovenian Pompeii". The tour is structured around a walk through the ancient city with a very successful effect. The central location of the city on the European trade routes is thus highlighted. The first floor is full of remarkable tools from the prehistoric period. Children will be amazed by the exceptional fossil of a bear from ancient times. Parents will be made aware of the fundamental role of the pioneer of Slovenian paleontology Srečko Brodar. The second part of the exhibition is devoted to the political career of the Counts of Celje, the noble dynasty that gave its first autonomy to a large part of the Proto-Slovenian territory. The family tree will help you to better understand the family context and to identify the development of a powerful network of matrimonial alliances. The map of castles provides a number of indications of the princely power in the 14th century. The memorial that groups together the skulls of the Counts of Celje is striking. The museum is extremely well designed, the didactic content is very readable and the interest of the young public is real: children will be able to confront each other with a wooden sword or discover the content of classic meals in the Middle Ages.

The castle was bought by the commune in 1933. Five years later, the premises of the bastille, built in 1556, housed the first collections. The 17th century Loreto Chapel, the arcaded corridor, the four towers, the Knights' Hall and the rococo staircase were built under the orders of the Counts Khisli. The remains of the 3rd millennium BC can be visited on the first floor. The miniatures made are very interesting to better understand the evolution of the habitat during the prehistoric period. The second room offers a more condensed content on the period of Roman domination and the blossoming of the Slavic tribes in the 7th century. On the first floor, there is a presentation of the work from the glassworks and forges of Pohorje. The atmosphere is surreal in the loggia with Greco-Roman statues and Jewish steles from the 14th century when Glavni Trg comes alive with folk music during the Lent festival.

Afterwards, we visit the exhibition dedicated to the Middle Ages in Maribor. The rapid growth of the city and its great prosperity were disrupted by a period of untimely war and deadly epidemics. A beautiful perspective of religious plurality and a beautiful life-size reconstruction of a medieval settlement in a rural area. Finally, the modern part of the exhibition is more thematic and focuses on the pictorial representations of the city's elites as well as on the evolution of women's fashion between the mid-19th and late 20th centuries.

Close to the previously mentioned farm, four centuries old, the house provides an opportunity to take part in the preparations for traditional cuisine.

Housed in the bishop's residence, this exhibition mainly features religious objects from daily life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Among the curiosities are nearly a thousand devotional cards. The second part of the museum proposes a more classical ethnographic approach around major themes such as pottery or watchmaking. Don't miss the surprising collection of postcards from the beginning of the last century.

The emergence of Velenje as a town in its own right is largely due to the presence of coal mines on its soil. You will descend 180 m underground to discover the life of the miner by taking the more than a century old cage. Be reassured! A beautiful adventure towards these numerous staged scenes. Eighteen scenes from the daily life of miners are presented one by one. The underground railway is one of the must-see features of the visit, as is the captivating development of the workers' social life.

Presents the works of Jakob Soklič, a priest in Slovenj Gradec from 1933. The museum also presents furniture, paintings and sculptures... A sort of Ali Baba's cave, this collection is due to the great work of collectors operated by Soklič. It highlights objects that bear witness both to the sumptuous past and to everyday life in Carinthia. Beautiful room on the predominance of local crafts in the economy of the region. A play is also devoted to the work and legacy of Fran Ksaver Meško (1874-1964), a local poet and playwright.

This ecomuseum tells us about the tradition of hop growing in the region. Let us recall here that Slovenia is the fifth largest producer of this herbaceous plant in the world! We discover the main stages in the production of this "green gold": harvesting, drying and processing. Very instructive, the visit ends with a video that shows us in an interactive and pleasant way the particularities of the hop picker's work. Small point about the great beers of the country too.

Beautiful green space with ponds, swans, music kiosk (1890), aquarium.

The window of Matkov. It is a 8 m opening in the rocky walls, accessible by a trail that leads from the Elektrokovina holiday house to Zabrložnica.

This is another glacial valley, parallel to the Logar valley, 6 km long. La Ride takes its source and joins the Črna to give the Savinja.

Side by side, Yugoslav partisan liberators and Russian soldiers. Socialist nostalgia before the quarrel with the Soviet big brother. Murska Sobota suffered the full brunt of the Nazi occupation during the Second World War, before being liberated. This monument celebrates this victory over the fascist oppressor. It was erected as early as 1945 by the Russian architect and military engineer Vladimir Aroncik. The style of construction is very symptomatic of Soviet art.