Simončič Double Hayrack – a True Star among the Hayracks

The double hayrack is considered a well-known cultural and historic monument of Slovenia. There is hardly a countryside postcard or a view of a Slovenian meadow or a field that lacks this wooden construction for drying crops or storing farming tools. As one of the oldest and most renowned double hayracks in Slovenia, the Simončič double hayrack or "Blažetov Toplar", which is almost 80 years old, is a true star among Slovenian hayracks. Furthermore, it represented a leading inspiration for the opening of the Land of Hayracks, the first open-air museum of hayracks in the world. An hour`s drive from Ljubljana you will encounter the region of Dolenjska, sprinkled with hills, the home of Cviček, the only wine in the world besides the Tuscan Chianti which incorporates a mixture of both white and red grape varieties. One of the advantages of Cviček is that it is very low in alcohol, this being why many people call it a "diet wine". So make a toast to a beautiful life in the chill of the hayracks of Dolenjska!

In the Land of Hayracks, the first open-air museum of its kind, it is possible to see 19 mighty Slovenian hayracks. They are situated at the homestead or separately on the field or meadow. The hayracks were once a place to dry and store grains, corn, hay, hemp, legumes and other crops. A double hayrack is a particularly suitable place for storing tools, agricultural machinery and wagons. The setting of hayracks in the museum is especially designed for the purpose of showing the development of hayracks through space and time: from simple drying structures to complex forms of double hayracks – "toplars". The museum also has numerous walking trails. Furthermore, it offers a possibility of organizing open-air weddings or educational events.

This open-air museum of Šentrupert represents all six types of Slovenian hayracks. The Simončič or "Blaž` double hayrack", as the locals call it, is 78 years old and is one of the largest and most recognizable hayracks in Slovenia. It is the first hayrack to be classified as a cultural monument of national importance in Slovenia. The Municipality of Šentrupert restored it at its original location in Bistrica pri Šentrupertu under the auspices of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia. The famous hayrack has three sets of windows, a balcony ("gank") and outstanding decorations, which make it unique among more than 600 hayracks in the Mirna Valley. It also became the first in the hayrack network "in situ" – as it stands on its original location among the restored and preserved objects of cultural heritage in the Mirna Valley.

The hayracks are considered a centuries-long achievement of agricultural and livestock activities on farm, castle and monastic agricultural estates. This type of construction shows the mastery of a long carpentry tradition. Particularly in Slovenia, the hayracks evolved into several shapes which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Land of Hayracks aims to emphasize this cultural value and raise the interest of the landowners in preserving the hayracks. The leadership`s ambitions are that the Land of Hayracks would gradually mature into the model of an eco-museum.

Back to news