Tag Archives: Kropa Iron Forging Museum

A Year of Slovenian Cultural Tourism – Radovljica and beyond!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Begunje, Brezje, history of Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, ironworking, kamna gorica, Kropa, Mošnje, Museums, museums in Slovenia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian culture, Tourism Radol'ca by

The year 2018 has been designated as a ‘Year of Culture’ for Slovenian tourism. With this in mind, here’s a look at some of the numerous cultural attractions that the Radovljica area has to offer. Despite its modest size, as you will see, there are quite a few! I’m lucky enough to have them all right on my doorstep!

Linhart Square, the heart of Radovljica’s medieval old town, is home to the Šivec House Gallery, the Museum of Apiculture, and the Municipal Museum. The latter two are housed in the imposing Radovljica Mansion.

Rezultat iskanja slik za mestni muzej radovljica

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

The Šivec House Gallery in Linhart Square is the place to be for all art lovers. One part of the gallery is dedicated to a permanent exhibition of original illustrations, whilst the other hosts monthly exhibitions by fine Slovenian and foreign artists. The building itself it also notable for its exterior fresco and the unusual layout and architecture of its preserved interior.

Photo: Miran Kambič

At the Museum of Apiculture, you can see a large collection of painted beehives front panels, including the oldest known in the world. Each of the painted panels tells a story.

The Lectar Gingerbread Museum and Workshop is located in the cellar of Gostilna Lectar, a family-run restaurant and guest house with a tradition dating back to 1766.

The current owners, Jože and Lili, have a real rags-to-riches story. When they first arrived in Radovljica to take over running Lectar Inn they initially had a lease to rent the restaurant for a 10-year period, however, it soon became apparent that it was to become their life’s work and that 10 years would be nowhere near enough, so they enquired about the possibility of buying the property. At that time, they certainly didn’t have the financial means to do so as they additionally had to put a lot of money, time and effort into renovating the 500-year old house and also had 2 young children (which later became 4 children – including one set of twins). Over time, all their hard graft began to pay off and nowadays, in addition to the family, they employ 17 staff across the restaurant, Lectar live gingerbread workshop and guest rooms.

Among the other cultural attractions in the Radovljica area are the Iron Forging Museum and the Fovšaritnica Museum House in Kropa.

The Museum of Hostages in Begunje, the Nativity Museum in Brezje, the Sextons’ Museum House in Kamna Gorica, the Mošnje Museum, and more…

Thanks to its favourable location and excellent transport links, Radovljica also makes an excellent base from where you can set off to discover more of Slovenia’s cultural attractions. Find out more here –

So, make 2018 a year to get to know more about Slovenia and its culture – after all, that is what makes every country unique!

© Adele in Slovenia

The Kropa Iron Forging Festival – 8th July 2017

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Hop-on Hop-On Bus, ifeelsLOVEnia, ironworking, Jelovica, Kropa, Museums, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

The ever-popular annual Iron Forging Festival (Kovaški šmaren) will take place this Saturday 8th July in the village of Kropa, the cradle of Slovene iron-forging.

I love visiting Kropa in summer, when it’s hot and the village is bathed in sunshine, and especially at the time of the Iron Forging Festival when the village comes to life and visitors can get a glimpse into life in the past for the village ironworkers and their families.

Kropa sits nested into the far eastern edge of the Jelovica plateau and is crammed with interesting sights and architecture and preserved technical heritage which is showcased during the annual festival.

There are demonstrations of hand forging of nails in the Vigenjc Vice Nail Forge, a small local craft market, old-time bikes, open days at the Iron Forging Museum and the Fovšaritnica Museum House, as well as at the headquarters of the company UKO Kropa, which specialises in all manner of wrought iron furnishings and fittings and is keeping the village’s iron-forging tradition alive.

Be sure to take a walk around the village, alongside the Kroparica stream, that runs right through its heart, and admire the former ironworkers houses embellished with decorative wrought iron.

If you’d like to make a day of it, why not take a hike up to the Vodiška planina highland. You can choose to take the steeper route (marked ‘Vodice – strma pot, 1hr 15mins) which begins at the parish Church of St. Leonard, one of the two churches in the village. There is a small parking area beside the church or otherwise you park in the centre of the village, by the memorial, and take the steps which lead between houses up to the church.

Or, alternatively, there is another path that is found by following the road through the village in the direction of Jamnik. The path begins on the bend in the road next to the former Slovenian smelting furnace (Slovenska peč).

Both paths eventually reach the highland and the Partizanski dom mountain hut where you can get refreshments and tasty home-cooked food – the štruklji are particularly popular!

For those without a car the Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus also visits Kropa every Tuesday during the summer months. More information and the timetable can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/hop-on-hop-off-radolca/

More information about the Iron Forging Festival can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/the-iron-forging-festival/

© Adele in Slovenia