Things to see and do Novo Mesto

Thematic and chronological collection of models of the Yugoslavian and then Slovenian car industry since the Second World War. There are of course models from Renault, but also prototypes of Adria motorhomes that have been brought up to date. Beyond the beautiful variety of vehicles on display, we discover all the work behind the scenes - from design to marketing. A nice company visit, to be read with all the necessary care.

Unchanged since the 16th century. The main square, in fact a street, is lined with old bourgeois houses. The town hall was erected in 1905. The coat of arms on the facade depicts Rudolf IV, the founding emperor. The charm of the place lies in its beautiful arcades, which recall the important commercial past of Novo Mesto in the Middle Ages. There are now a few hotels, a few bars, a supermarket and the tourist office. Several cultural events are organized in this nerve centre of the city.

Museum highlighting the great hours of the Dolenjska region. Explanations in English are provided; this gives a clear idea of the local history. However, after an overdeveloped treatment of the prehistoric and Roman periods, one will regret the surprising bias of the museum not to deal with regional historical aspects between the 10th and 20th centuries. In an enigmatic chronological scramble, we leap a millennium to discover a memorial to the partisan resistance during the Second World War.

Just 200 m from the museum, the gallery is housed in the former family-run café-hotel designed by architect Giuseppe Olivo, who also designed the town hall. Following Anton Jakac's bankruptcy, the building has had a succession of owners. Converted into an art gallery in 1984, the building was symbolically given back to the great Slovenian painter. Over 800 works are on display: drawings, pastels, oils and watercolors, representing seventy years of activity. A work, a life to discover!

In Gothic style, the Church of St. Nicholas Chapter has a surprisingly broken longitudinal axis due to numerous modifications. Some altars are decorated with works by Valentin Metzinger (1699-1759). The jewel of the city, a Saint Nicholas by the Venetian master Le Tintoretto (1518-1594), is in the choir. The chapter is also worth a look. Created in 1493, it was renovated until 1623 after a fire in 1576. The crypt can be visited.

This Gothic church was built by the Franciscans in the ^15th century. Ravaged by fire in 1664, it underwent its final alterations in 1965. A number of tombstones of lords and knights, as well as that of Matija Kastelic, local canon and writer, mark its history. The monastery, built around 1480, contains 1,200 books, incunabula and paintings by Valentin Metzinger. Still in use, the monastery is often closed to the public. If you're lucky, you'll be able to visit the bookshop.