BEAUTIFUL WALKS AROUND THE HISTORICAL TOWNS OF SLOVENIA
Even a short stop in one of the historical towns of Slovenia offers plenty of inspiring stories. The selected walks lead to the most important city sights, include local cuisine and offer detours to the green surroundings.
When you go for a walk, you change from a visitor to a researcher of the true character of the town.
Novo mesto, an important European site of Iron Age bronze situlae, is a town on seven hills. At least two of them are on your way through the old town. Start your tour in the most beautiful street called the Breg. After exploring the squares and streets and easy walks over the Kapiteljski grič hill and Marof, go through the town forest and across the Krka River, and return to the Breg.
The proposed route is managed in one hour.
KAs the attractions invite you to make stops and enjoy experiences, take at least half a day for your visit
Discover the street on the medieval walls. Have a look at the river, which embraces the town with its meander, from interesting bridges. Stroll in the shade of old trees. Discover the mythological forest. Enjoy unforgettable views.
Start your walk on the Glavni trg main square (1) – the largest medieval square in Slovenia, which has been a gathering place under the arcades of historic buildings for centuries. Enter the lovely boutiques, peek into the bourgeois buildings and see the Town Hall (2), built in 1905. Stop at the Tourist Information Centre (3), get a map of the town and learn about stories for all your routes.
A Tip: In the nearby Dilančeva ulica street, treat yourself to a stop at the Fink & Situla adventure restaurant, which surprises with local and international specialities, gluten-free delicacies and a special Hallstatt menu. Award-winning chef Damjan Fink creates the dishes that you can treat yourself to in the shade of trees.
From the renovated square, head towards the medieval Breg street (4), which stands on the remains of the former town walls. The narrow street is recognizable by its colourful houses. Once the poorest inhabitants lived here, but today the Breg is one of the most recognizable sights of Novo mesto. On your walk you will surely wonder how they once built on a bedrock above the Krka River (5). Continue along Cvelbarjeva ulica street, where the birthplace of Božidar Jakac (6), the artist who painted the famous views of Novo mesto, is also located.
From the Breg, venture up somewhat hidden steps to the green Museum Gardens with the mighty stone remains of the ancient past. The gardens invite you to enter the Dolenjska Museum(7). After sightseeing, continue up the steps. Cross the street and continue up to the Kapiteljski grič hill (8). It reigns over the town together with the cathedral church of St. Nicholas (9). Here, a remarkable altar painting of the famous Italian artist Tintoretto can be seen. At the end of 2021, the church bell tower promises a viewing platform, which will offer stunning views of Novo mesto.
From Kapitelj, descend to Novi trg square (10) and refresh yourself in one of the bars there. Then cross the road and head into the shade of the chestnut trees in Kette Avenue (11). The path that leads past the house of the poet Dragotin Kette is slowly ascending and at the same time offers an ever-widening view of the Krka bend. It takes you to the Marof hill with a prehistoric hillfort (12).
From the hill, descend to the Krka River. Its left bank invites you to a park with kids play equipment and a picnic area. After beautiful moments along the river, cross the wooden Ragovski most bridge (13) and look at the nearby dams. Enjoy the water experience.
On the other bank, explore the Ragov log forest (14). Once upon a time, the devil himself supposedly ruled here, that is why the area was called Vragovo (the Devil’s) for a long time. On the way through the town forest, you have a view of the gardens of the Franciscan monastery (15) on the other bank of the river.
You return to the old town via the iron Kandijski most bridge (16). From here, you can see the picturesque Breg (2) again. Its remarkable cityscape invites you to visit it again. You can choose to take the famous street again or continue straight on to the Main Square (1). Or you can also take a walk along Župančič’s promenade (17) on the left river bank. From here, you are sure to notice opportunities for outdoor activities. At Mestna plaža town’s beach (18) you can rent a sup or a wooden boat and round up your trip around the town on the river.
A Tip: Stop at the Čajarna Stari most tee house right next to the Kandijski most bridge. Cats will keep you company in this special place. If you decide to take a walk along the river, go to the Loka inn and enjoy house specialities made from local ingredients on the terrace just above the river.
The central part of the old town is the largest medieval square in Slovenia. After a complete renovation, it has become a lively living room of the town and an attractive venue for town events. The square got its characteristic design in the 16th century, when it was considered one of the most beautiful in the country. The houses have characteristic stone arcades, and some have atrium courtyards. The once heavily congested square is now reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
The two-storey building with an accentuated central part and an arcaded ground floor was built in 1905 on the site of the previously demolished rotovž. The main façade boasts historical neo-Romanesque and the neo-Gothic building elements. There is a story connected with the construction of the rotovž. Some say it was supposedly built with cviček wine. During the construction water ran out so the masons replaced it with local wine.
Glavni trg 7
This is where you get all the information about accommodation, cuisine, events, culture, sports and other opportunities for active leisure. Guided tours of the town and its surroundings can be arranged. A rich selection of tourist souvenirs is available on the premises of the TIC. You can also get to know the town and its surroundings by bike. Choose among regular and electric mountain bikes for rent.
Glavni trg 11, T: 07 39 39 263
The street, which grew on the remains of a part of the town walls at the end of the 18th century, is the most often painted cityscape of the Slovenian towns. A row of terraced residential houses is leaning against the remains of the wall and the bedrock of the steep slope above the river. The residents of the street were engaged in growing and selling vegetables, doing laundry, drying meat and renting out rooms to subtenants, especially students. Most of the buildings have a typical structure: a partially dug in basement, living quarters on the ground floor and a characteristic balcony.
The largest river in Dolenjska, which initially has an unpredictable karst character, eats into the bedrock in the Novo mesto area. It flows through the town in two beautiful turns. The old part of the town is squeezed into the inner side of the Krka’s bend. The river, which attracts with its liveliness upstream, offers relaxed boating and paddling experiences in the Novo mesto area.
The painter and graphic artist Božidar Jakac (1899 – 1989) spent his early childhood in a house where you can now see a memorial plaque. His family spent the following years in a building at the nearby Sokolska ulica street. The former hotel is now called Jakčev dom, where the Dolenjska Museum Novo mesto exhibits works from the collection of as many as 828 works of art donated by the artist himself to his home town. The collection also includes his characteristic cityscapes of the Breg – the “row of irregular old houses”.
Cvelbarjeva ulica 9
The Dolenjska Museum in the historic Križatija building displays an exceptional archaeological heritage of excavations in Novo mesto, in which finds from the Early Iron Age (8th – 4th century BC) have a special significance. Here, you can also learn about the ethnological heritage of the peasant and artisan way of life in the Dolenjska region, and recent history from the end of the 19th century to the end of the Second World War. The permanent Leon Štukelj (1898 – 1999) exhibition presents the life of the most successful Slovenian athlete in terms of the number of medals won at the Olympic Games.
Muzejska ulica 7, T: 07 373 11 30
The town of Novo mesto lies on seven hills. The first and the highest of them is the lookout point Kapiteljski grič (253 m), named after the Collegiate Chapter, a church institution from 1493. On the hill that dominates the town streets are also Šance – a part of the preserved and restored defensive walls right next to the Kapitelj gardens. There is a scenic walking path along the walls.
The Gothic church on top of Kapiteljski grič is the most famous town monument and a key symbol of the Novo mesto cityscape. In the town’s oldest sacral building, first mentioned as early as 1428, the large altar is adorned with a painting by the famous painter Tintoretto from the 16th century. In addition to Tintoretto’s only work of art in Slovenia, the crypt of the first bishop of Vienna and a bronze relief door with depictions of the 650-year history of Novo mesto invite you to the church
Kapiteljska ulica, Kapiteljski grič
The newer city centre is represented by a square with a parking lot, a garage, business and public buildings, a post office, a bank and various bars. Here, the Janez Trdina Cultural Center is located with a top offer of theatre, music, film and other events.
More than 300 wild chestnut trees keep you company on a 1.5-kilometre route from the city centre over the Marof hill to the suburban Bršljin. The tree-lined avenue, planted as early as 1891, is one of the town’s most beautiful promenades. It is named after the poet Dragotin Kette (1876 – 1899), who created his greatest works in Novo mesto. He lived in a house near the avenue and attended the local grammar school.
Novo mesto is an important European site with the most discovered Iron Age bronze buckets – situlae. The hill with important archaeological sites was inhabited as early as the first millennium BC. The prehistoric settlement consisted of a higher acropolis, fortified with an earth defence embankment, and a lower part. A sandy circular theme path leads through Marof, which, in addition to presenting the settlement and life in the time before our era, offers beautiful views of the city.
This attractive wooden bridge has connected the town with the Ragov log forest since 1987. On one bank of the Krka is Jerebova ulica street with the European Union Park, and on the other side is the town forest. The area around the bridge, which was renovated in 2008, offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities.
Jerebova ulica
The town forest is full of walking and running trails. An educational trail is also arranged here. This popular green junction of the town, the river and the trees was once called Vragovo (the Devil’s). From here, the devil supposedly controlled the lives of the locals. Then a cunning farmer made a bet with him. If the devil managed to build a dam across the river in one day, the farmer would hand over his son, otherwise the devil would have to fold up his tents. He failed. Even today you can see a hole in the dam and a rock on the river bank, which the devil could not get to the dam in time.
The gardens with access to the Krka, which can be observed from the opposite bank, invite you to explore the heritage of the monastery, which has had a significant impact on the life of the town since the 15th century. The monastery built in 1472 and rebuilt after a fire in 1664, houses the oldest library in the town. There is also a wine cellar in the building. You can arrange for tours and tasting of spirits at the Novo mesto Tourist Information Centre.
Frančiškanski trg 1
The iron road bridge that connects the old town with the hinterland was built in 1898. The riveted structure, which crosses the Krka in a single, 75 m long arch is one of the rarest and oldest structures of this kind in Slovenia.
Glavni trg
Župančič promenade connects the old town and the area along the Bršljin stream. The walk, which begins in Pugljeva ulica street, takes you along the embankment all the time. There are benches for stops and sports areas as well as the popular Loka inn.
The Loka Sports Park and the Portoval Sports Park with tennis courts invite you to recreation on both banks of the Krka River, which are connected by a footbridge. On the right bank is the town beach, where you can rent a sup or a wooden boat. This is an excellent starting point for exploring the town from the river. Direct your sup under the two bridges and see the Breg and the Franciscan Monastery from a new perspective
Beach Bar Loca, Topliška cesta 2c, T: 064 12 99 22
