Breathtaking Source of the Krupa River

Photo: Parking my ride along the beautiful Krupa River

Photo: Majestic Castle Otočec

As I promised in one of my previous blogs, I returned to Dolenjska. It was another wonderful August Saturday, as the crystal clear blue skies just called for me to take my bike out for a spin. I left Ljubljana after breakfast and took the highway to Novo mesto and from there rode to Otočec Castle, just ten minutes away from the city centre of Novo mesto. A magnificent castle you must not miss if you are in this part of Slovenia.

Otočec Castle

It took me about forty minutes to reach Otočec Castle, currently home to a castle hotel, located on a small island in the middle of the Krka River, making it the only water castle in Slovenia. Actually, the castle’s name itself in Slovene denotes a small island. The small island and the castle along with it are connected to both Krka River banks with two wooden bridges. The area also boasts a golf course and even a small adventure park. Well, the main reason people come to visit Otočec, besides the castle, is the breathtaking nature and I am not just talking about the Krka River, but maybe even more so the forest, park, and numerous pathways inviting guests to research the area for themselves.

Photo: On the bridge in front of Otočec Castle

Photo: Pure relaxation

Since it was already very hot, I took off my gear, walked around a bit and sat down by the river for about twenty minutes, just watching the ducks quarrel among each other on the crystal clear river. The thing I like about this place is that everyone can find a peaceful place for themselves, a place not yet busy with tourists. I enjoyed my very own private quiet place, took some “childish”, well, let’s call them funny photos before leaving for Kostanjevica na Krki. 

Kostanjevica na Krki

It took me about twenty minutes to Kostanjevica na Krki, the oldest and the smallest town in the Dolenjska region and a town dubbed as the Venice of Dolenjska. The charming, quaint little town is a perfect stop on the way from Novo mesto to the east/southeast of Slovenia and is known for its vast and rich cultural and natural heritage, while its vicinity boasts numerous sites for visitors to explore (Krakovski gozd, Karst cave near Kostanjevica, archeological sites, etc.). I had a cup of coffee in the town by the river and planned my next stop – source of Krupa River, near Semič in Bela Krajina. 

Photo: Venice of Slovenia – Kostanjevica na Krki

Krupa – undiscovered green emerald river

Photo: Lost in nature ...

The winding road with lots of twists and turns led me to the southeast of Slovenia, to the Bela Krajina region. The landscape there is truly beautiful; loads of fields extending as far as the eye can see, forests, hills, and valleys make this region one of the most varied in Slovenia. The untouched nature, where villages and towns are less frequent than fields and meadows, immediately caught my attention and I started to ride slower to be able to soak up the spectacular views. 

Photo: Majestic source of Krupa River near Semič

After about forty-five minutes, I reached a small village close to the town of Semič and left the main road on a forest gravel path to the source of Krupa. I couldn’t believe my eyes, as I have never before seen such green-rich colour of a river. Truly, if you are ever close to the town of Semič, do not hesitate to make a small turn from your planned way to visit this natural beauty. I was alone by the river and took my time to relax, unwind, and cool off without any other sound then the water flowing peacefully close by. After thirty minutes of peaceful nature, it was time for me to start my engine and hurry to my next stop – the village of Otok.

Photo: To jump or not to jump – that's the real question.

DC-3 Dakota near the village of Otok

My next stop was an old aircraft located among the fields and meadows along the road between the towns of Metlika and Črnomelj. Apart from the old aircraft, there’s not much to see there, so I stopped there only to take a couple of snaps with my bike and the aircraft. The old airplane by the ex Yugoslav national army is easily accessible as you make a turn from the main road and after a minute reach the old monument place. The aircraft was exhibited as a memorial site to all emergency landing zones of Partisans in WWII. From here, the allies took the injured soldiers and their families with planes to hospitals in Italy and used this area also to bring the locals medical equipment, food, clothing, ammunition, etc. in their fight against the Germans. After a few snaps, I headed back north in the direction of Novo mesto to reach my last destination on the trip – the town of Žužemberk. 

Photo: Who's going to win?

Žužemberk

Photo: Posing in front of Žužemberk Castle

Riding on a perfect road with loads of turns and small hills to the town of Žužemberk took about forty-five minutes, maybe even a bit longer since I slowed down while admiring the ride along the Krka River. The last few kilometres before reaching Žužemberk are every biker’s dream with a couple of sweet turns to the top, before reaching the town’s centre with the castle atop the hill. The town is quite small and there is lots to see, of course, besides the castle and the pathway descending to the Krka River underneath it – an area where several sports activities are organised each year, especially the beach volleyball tournament. I went to the river bank, took a few photos of the bike with the castle in the background, rode to the castle, treated myself to a scoop of ice cream and rested for a while, whilst enjoying the castle’s magnificent architecture, before heading back to Ljubljana. The ride to Ljubljana took just over thirty minutes as I took the local roads across the hills to Slovenia’s capital.

Photo: A well-deserved rest ...

Where will I go on my next trip? Any ideas? Be sure to follow my blog and find out – soon!

Photo: Map of the route