The winter holiday season is already in full swing. Throughout cities, a myriad festive lights have been lit, and we are busy wrapping gifts for our loved ones and baking sweet treats to make the most of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The manner in which we celebrate today is in many ways different from the celebration typical of Kočevska region (and elsewhere in Slovenia) before the World War…
Šipling (Schipling) – Christmas bread from Kočevska region (Slov. poprtnik)
In 1592, the scholar Hieronymus Megiser first wrote about the especially decorated Christmas bread that is in various places across Slovenia called poprtnik, namiznjak, žúpnik, župnek, poprtnják, bôžič, božíčnik, mížnik,…
Stane Jarm
He was a versatile and very sophisticated artist who drew inspiration from his home environment, in particular the lives and hardships of domestic folk. He acknowledged the importance of art…
Gottscheer traditional attire
Traditional attire in the Kočevska region from the 17th century The first description of Gottscheers’ clothing practices can be found in Valvasor’s “The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola” from 1689.…
A Bow to Nature: The Krokar Primeval Forest
Seconds after my colleague waved to me to come closer, I catch a glimpse of the chamois. A majestic animal that isn’t afraid of taking chances and instantly disappeared from…
Peter Klepec – a mighty hero of the Kolpa and Čabranka Valley
A frail child becomes a hero Small and frail, barefoot and wearing patched-up clothes. He led the sheep or oxen to pasture on steep slopes that loom over the Kolpa…
Georg Jurij Jonke – the Gottscheer beekeeper
“The authority on beekeeping in the Carniola region in the 19th century”, “the author of one of the fundamental works on Slovenian beekeeping”, “teacher of beekeeping”, “preserver and benefactor”, “one…
World War I memorials in the Kočevska (Gottschee) region
The World War I, or the so-called Great War, is known as one of the greatest tragedies in human history. It has not befallen only countries or areas where the…
The autumn come and all men vanished – the peddler’s trade in Kočevska (Gottschee) region
“The Gottscheers were peddling folks. The autumn come and all men vanished. They ventured forth to various cities – all the way to Berlin. Many of them earned well and…
The Koblarska cave (Koblarska jama) and the Black cave (Črna jama)
You should visit some when it’s raining. Or snowing. That is, if you want to witness the majestic interplay of water seeping through the floor and falling to the basin,…