RIC Bela Krajina

In the Bela krajina area we come across the towns of Črnomelj and Metlika with their preserved old town centres,while Semič is a typical market town.

Settlement Črnomelj, known already from ancient times, developed on the bend of the rivers Lahinja and Dobličica. The central square is formed by the medieval castle, the commandery of the German order of knights and the building of the former savings bank and loan society. Along the main street stands the parish church of St Peter, and not far away the Pastoral Centre and the restored Gothic church of the Holy Spirit, in which numerous concerts, exhibitions of works of art and other events take place throughout the year, and in which a civil wedding ceremony is also possible. Numerous houses have memorial plaques set into them which testify to the importance of the town during the Second World War, since Bela krajina was the cradle of the partisan movement.

Also interesting for visitors is the Primožič house – the house of Bela krajina craftspeople, in which various exhibitions and educational workshops are prepared, while products of domestic crafts are permanently on sale. Within the old town core the Črnomelj cellar is housed, that is, the tasting room of the Bela krajina Wine and Information Centre, open to lovers of wine.

The old town centre of Metlika are represented by Mestni trg, Trg svobode and Partizanski trgand a few smaller streets. On account of its important position, below the wine-growing and panoramic hill Veselica, and on account of the water which once washed part of the town, the old town core had throughout history a good natural defensive function. In the very centre stand famous buildings: Metlika castle, the first savings and loan bank in Lower Carniola and White Carniola, the first reading room in Lower Carniola and White Carniola, the town hall, the building of the former Wach pharmacy with a preserved relief of the Holy Trinity, the church of St Nicholas … The town has three more churches, one of which is Greek Catholic. In the castle and its vicinity the White Carniola Museum, the Dr Branko Božič Slovenian Fire-fighting Museum and the Kambič Gallery are housed. Here we encounter memorials from the periods of the First and Second World Wars and several busts of well-known people of White Carniola.

Semič with its square, called Štefan Square, is adorned by the parish church of St Stephen, which is mentioned as early as 1228 and was built in the style of Baroque Classicism. The surroundings of the church are enclosed by the partly preserved wall of the defensive camp against the Turks. The building inside the wall, the so-called Tabor House, has also been renovated, and in it regular painting exhibitions and various cultural events take place, above all in the summer time. Visitors learn more about the history of the place from prehistory to the First World War in the Local Museum Collection. As part of the collection, visitors can view the interior of a former Bela krajina vineyard cottage from the times when only wood still breathed in it, and with it the Bela krajina people, tired from work and always smiling.

The Kolpa River is 292 km long in total, of which 113 km form the area of the state border with the Republic of Croatia and at the same time the longest Slovenian ‘’riviera’’. It is considered one of the warmest, cleanest and impaired rivers in Slovenia. From the natural point of view the Kolpa River offers us unspoiltness, picturesqueness and an invaluable source of inner peace. Part of the river, in the area from Stari trg to Dragoši, is a protected area within the Kolpa Landscape Park.

Special protection is given to 16 natural monuments and 41 cultural monuments along the river and in the surroundings. The Kolpa Landscape Park represents a milder category of protected area in Slovenia, but it is one of the few landscape parks in our country that is declared at state level, so it also has its own managing institution, the public institution Kolpa Landscape Park. The river is barred by more than 50 weirs, which are characterised by stone facing and are the consequence of the building of mills, sawmills and smithies. Some still serve their purpose today.

The river is exceptionally rich in flora and fauna. Beside it numerous rare, endangered birds have sought a home, especially those tied to water. Near the village of Miliči about twenty pairs of grey herons nest. The otter, which is among the most endangered European mammals, must also be mentioned. The latest research shows the unspoiltness of nature, since as many as 39 species of native fish have been discovered in the Kolpa River. It is attractive in all seasons; visitors most like to visit it in the summer months, when it is suitable for bathing, since the water temperature reaches as much as 30 degrees Celsius.

If you visit it, you will not be bored. You can take part in various sporting and recreational activities. The most popular among them are boating, riding in canoes, kayaks or rafts along the whole river course. The river is not demanding for paddlers, it is considered easier and also suitable for beginners. The Kolpa also offers organised fishing, so angling trophies are to be sought among professionals and amateur anglers who have already tasted the good fortune of river fishing.
Along the river and in its vicinity there are laid-out and marked hiking trails; one such, which begins in Stari trg ob Kolpi and ends in Sodevci, is the Market Town Trail. The southernmost Slovenian trail winds from Radenci to Damelj. It is followed by the Millers' Trail from Damelj to Vinica, from which onwards, likewise along the river, runs the Fair Trail, which ends in Žuniči. Here there is the good 200 m long Bela krajina Beekeeping Study Trail. We continue the exploration of the area along the Kolpa on the Kučar-Kolpa study trail in Podzemelj and finish on the Zdenc-Vidovec study trail at Božakovo. Laid-out cycling routes also make cycling or a recreational break possible.

If you would like to visit the river banks for a longer time, they will gladly look after you at the tourist farms or campsites, inns or other accommodation establishments beside the river and in its surroundings. They will serve you Bela krajina cuisine and wine and an open Bela krajina heart.