With a little imagination and eyes open to all of the special things offered by Slovenia’s historical towns and cities, you can easily relive various historical epochs. Special attention should be given to the stories of people who were ahead of their time in terms of their work and lifestyles. Explore how a great poet, a cosmopolitan word traveller, a famous composer and violinist, a Capuchin friar and many others influenced the character of a particular city. Go back to the time when cities lived at the pace dictated by special masters, such as shoemakers and lace-makers or mine workers and the explorers of natural wonders beyond towns and cities. Perhaps you will find your own inspiration in these stories.
France Prešeren, who is as important to the Slovenians as Shakespeare is to the English, spent the last few years of his life in Kranj. During his stay in the cultural capital of the Slovenian Alps, Prešeren’s famed Poezije (or ‘Poems’) poetry collection was published as well as his poem titled Zdravljica or ‘A Toast’, a part of which now comprises the Slovenian national anthem.
The life and work of France Prešeren can be relived in Kranj in February, when the Slovenian cultural holiday is observed, by visiting the Prešeren Fair held in the atmosphere of the mid-19th century bourgeoisie.
Celje is mainly famous for the family of the Counts of Celje, which used to be regarded as one of the mightiest families in Europe. However, in addition to the noble counts, a woman of small physical stature who travelled the entire world by herself at the end of the 1920s also left her mark on the ‘Town of Princes’. The author, explorer, polyglot, and theosophist Alma M. Karlin, who would nowadays certainly be one of the nation’s most popular bloggers, can be encountered in various locations around town.
The memorial house is close to the popular hiking trail to Celjska Koča, from where a trail will take you to Svetina, a village where the world traveller and the author of more than 50 works was buried at the village cemetery.
In Slovenia's most picturesque coastal town you can learn about the life story of the famous composer and virtuoso Giuseppe Tartini. His opus with more than 130 concertos for the violin and the orchestra and almost 200 violin sonatas, including the brilliant Devil’s Treill Sonata.
The most important points related to Tartini, which are part of Piran’s cultural treasures, are connected by, among other things, the Cultural and Historical Trail.
The Škofja Loka Passion Play is the oldest Slovenian dramatic text, the oldest directed play in Slovenia, and one of the oldest theatre pieces in Europe. Due to its exceptional value, it is a part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Do you know who recorded this famous text? It was recorded by the Capuchin Friar Romuald, whose real name was Lovrenc Marušič. This spectacular street performance first came to life in 1721 and is now performed every few years.
Due to the large scale of this spectacular performance, the people of Škofja Loka stage it only once every six years. The next time the Passion Play, which includes more than one thousand actors, will be performed will be the spring of 2022.
The pioneer of modern-day beekeeping, Anton Janša, was born in 1734 near Radovljica, a medieval Alpine town with a defence moat. He was the first beekeeping teacher in the Viennese court, and beekeepers worldwide still follow his principles today. 20 May, Janša's birthday, has become World Bee Day at Slovenia’s initiative.
Honey and honey products are also part of the Taste Radol’ca dishes, which are made exclusively from local ingredients, marked with a stylised onion on the menus of the participating restaurants and hospitality providers.
Kamnik is a historical town with rich artisanal activities, best reflected in Šutna Street. This is where, almost 150 years ago, the Slovenian general and world-class strategist Rudolf Maister was born. To Slovenians, he is an important fighter for our northern border, although it is slightly less known that he was also an artist at heart – he was a poet, painter and a book lover.
In Slovenia, even a national holiday is devoted to General Rudolf Maister. It is intended to honour the memory of 23 November 1918 when Maister took over the military control of Maribor.
The town of Šentjur, which is also known for the musical Ipavec family, is also proud of its beatified citizen. A nearby village is the birth place of Anton Martin Slomšek, a bishop, author, poet, educator and patriot. Even as a child, his preaching abilities were evident and later his actions helped to raise Slovenian national awareness.
In 1999, Pope John Paul II, beatified Slomškek, and he is also currently under consideration for sainthood.
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