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| Photo: Exercise is important ... |
It was one
of the first really hot summer days and once again I couldn't stand the heat in my office
anymore. I made a choice between staying behind the computer and eventually
dozing of behind the computer screen from extreme humidity and heat or
simply forgetting about work for a day, putting on my gear and riding into the sunset on
my bike. Well – is that even a choice? You don't have to think twice which
option I chose …
Sevnica
If you’ve
read my previous blog posts, you probably remember I already visited a part of the
Dolenjska Region to the south, south-east of Slovenia, towards the border with
Croatia, but I was not able to fulfill my plan of visiting all of the places I
envisioned. So, the only logical thing for me to do on such a warm and
beautiful summer day was to grab the bike and ride towards the hometown of
America’s first lady – Melania Trump. Hahaha, I got you – of course that would
be the last reason to visit Sevnica, an inviting town along the Sava River.
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| Photo: Sevnica Castle |
It took me
about an hour and twenty minutes to reach Sevnica from Ljubljana. Even though I
prefer riding on the local roads when on my bike, I chose to take the highway
in order to reach my destination quicker and to have more time to explore this
region. I walked around the town a bit and finally rode towards the marvellous
Sevnica Castle overlooking the river and the town underneath. I was lucky to be
graced by beautiful summer sunny weather, as the temperature was not expected
to reach 30 degrees Celsius. I admired the wonderful architecture of the
majestic castle and took a walk through the park and just soaked up the sight
of the town and the Sava River paving its way through the town. I treated
myself to ice coffee and planned my next stop.
Brestanica
Castle
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| Photo: Admiring the view from Brestanica Castle |
The ride
from Sevnica to Brestanica was a really short one, since they are literally
neighbouring towns. It took me just about 10 minutes to get from one castle to the
other. It was my first time visiting Brestanica Castle which is very different
from any other castles I’ve seen across Slovenia, mainly due to its specific
architecture, which partially dates back to the 9th and mainly to
the 16th century when the castle was renovated for the first time
(the last renovation took place just a few years back). Although the castle
underwent serious misuse during WWII, it is now home to art and museum
collections and provides guests with a shop and a café, as well as with summer film projections and concerts. The most prominent
features of the castle are probably a somewhat unusual exterior and the
beautiful interior as many of the castle’s walls are painted with frescoes.
Since I just had coffee in Sevnica, I walked to the beautiful terrace just in
front of the castle and admired the view of the Sava River and the surrounding hills
before heading south to the town of Krško.
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| Photo: Brestanica Castle |
Ribnik
My next
stop was literally almost just around the corner. It took me about fifteen
minutes to ride my bike back to the valley. I turned left among the hills to
reach pond Ribnik in the middle of a beautiful forest. After visiting two
castles, I wanted to enjoy some fresh air amidst the beautiful and almost
untainted nature. I got off my bike, sat on the grass and just relaxed for a
quarter of an hour, watching people fish by the pond, the beautiful pine
trees, and the numerous pathways along the pond and in the forest. This is
truly a peaceful place where I was able to relax, unwind and close my eyes for
a couple of moments, before heading off to Krško …
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| Photo: Ribnik |
Raceland
Krško
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| Photo: Raceland - No racing for me ... |
… or better
said off to Raceland. It took me about 25 minutes to reach Raceland, located
amidst the fields and orchards between the towns of Krško and Brežice. I have to admit, I really wanted to go for a couple of laps on a somewhat small racing ground, where you can test your riding skills on the
bike or go-karts, but I should have made a reservation sooner, so this still remains on my to-do list. I observed a couple of guys taking their bikes for a spin,
before I was ready to hop back on my bike and head to Raka Castle, just on the other side of Krško.
Raka Castle
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| Photo: Raka Castle |
Raka is a
small village located to the northwest of Krško. The road from Krško to Raka is
quite curvy, just perfect for riding. Even though I was riding through villages
and I was not able to go much faster than the speed limit, I enjoyed the undulations
of the road which paved its way among vineyards and small forests. I got to the
castle, which to my surprise was closed, which meant that I was able to admire
only its exterior – it is actually more of a mansion than a castle – and take a
walk around it to see a small park and forests underneath it. I snapped a
couple of photos and was already heading towards the city of Novo mesto.
Klevevž
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| Photo: Klevevž |
Klevevž is a small village located between Krško and Novo mesto. It is known for its remains of an old castle and maybe even more so for a hot source spring along the forest. It was not hot enough for me to take off my gear and dip my feet into the water, yet I managed to cool off by sitting in the shade in the middle of the creek running downstream. If you have time to make a detour from your planned route and take ten minutes from the main road to reach this destination, I promise you it will be well worth it. Especially if you decide to cool off and relish in the perfect atmosphere of a small natural jacuzzi …
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| Photo: Cooling off along Klevevž stream |
I had
another perfect day on my bike, as I explored a region of Slovenia I have not
visited much in the past. But it persuaded me with all its natural beauties and
castles, so I am definitely coming back to explore it some more. Although
Slovenia is small in size, its natural and cultural heritage is so rich and
vast that you simply need to take the time to find and explore even its most
hidden corners and gems.
I'll be seeing
you back on the road soon!
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| Photo: Klevevž |
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| Photo: Map of the Route |
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