More than 20 ideas for trips around the Dolenjska region

A romantic town centre that is surrounded on three sides by the Krka River. Visit the main square with its boutiques and cafés, the cathedral and Franciscan church, the Museum of Dolenjska, Župančič’s Walkway along the river and Kette’s Avenue with its own viewpoint.  

Go old-world rafting around the old town centre following the serpentine curve of the Krka river, where you will be able to admire the houses on the embankment of Breg, as well as the Franciscan church and monastery.Let the raft accordionist and others entertain you along your way, and sample the local Cviček red wine and tasty Dolenjska region delicacies. 

The Dolenjska region is known for its high-quality wines and the wine tower of Otočec Castle Hotel is the perfect place to taste and buy them. You can taste the highly-valued local wines, including Cviček, which is an unusual wine and specialty of this region, complementing the local delicacies in particular, as well as other foreign wines of higher quality – red, white, strong, aromatic and sweet wines.

19 | Country House & Bistro is located right on theOtočec golf course. If offers its guests traditional stews, cold cuts, fresh snacks and refreshing drinks, which you can enjoy while taking in the views of the surrounding winegrowing hills and catching a game of golf.  

Struga Castle is situated right by the course of Otočec Castle Golf Club.

Otočec Castle is perched on a small river island and has been turned into a boutique hotel that is a member of the prestigious association Relais & Châteaux. The castle restaurant holds several notable awards – Michelin Guide and Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. 

This 18-hole golf course is one of the most well-designed golf courses in this part of Europe. Thanks to its expansive fairways, it is challenging even for experienced golfers. Challenge yourself!

The Land of Hayracks is a museum of traditional Slovenian hayracks in the vicinity of Šentrupert,aimed at preserving the various types of hayracks and Slovenian ethnological specialities. 

The indoor thermal pool with a swimming lane, massage jets, with a children’s area and sunbathing terrace and rest area. It has two saunas (Finnish and Turkish), with an indoor and outdoor rest area, and a massage room.

Organic garden is located near the Otočec castle, in a clean and unspoiled environment. The products are used by chefs from the Grad Otočec restaurants, Šport Otočec Hotel and Šmarješki Toplice Spa to prepare delicious dishes and local specialties. You can also visit the garden and chat with the gardener, who will tell you many secrets of growing healthy food.

The indoor and outdoor thermal pools, the famous wooden pool, water lily pond, the valley of the beavers, Vitarium wellness entre with massages, cosmetic treatments and the large world of saunas.

Indoor and outdoor thermal pools, the Vitarium Spa & Beauty wellness center with massages, cosmetic treatments and a large world of saunas.

It would be a sin to not visit at least one vineyard cottage when you are in Dolenjska. On the hill of Trška gora, the winemakers Vinarstvo Colnar are located and where they are awaiting you with excellent wine, tasty snacks and a beautiful view. They are open to the public every Friday and Saturday from 11:00 to 21:00. 

Visit the first Cviček wine fountain in Slovenia, where you can also sample varieties such as Dolenjska White, Blaufränkisch and Žametovka, which are the main components of Cviček. You will taste only the best wines – those that have been awarded the highest scores at the Week of Cviček. 

The little thermal pool of Klevevž springs to the surface from beneath a large rock and collects in a small pool alongside the picturesque valley of the Radulja stream, at the foot of a slope below the Klevevž castle ruins. The water, that has been said to have magical medicinal properties, has a balmy temperature of 22°C all year round – you can even swim in winter!

The natural phenomenon that you can observe from the castle island and from the path leading from Otočec Castle to Otočec village. The picturesque river tufa formations slow down the flow of the river Krka and create dams which in turn create a diverse environment in the river and alongside it.

Soteska, the little village where the Devil’s Tower (known as Hudičev Turn in Slovenian) is located, is notable due to the noble Auersperg family who lived in a mighty manor house here, and not far from that they had a Baroque tower – a place for revelry and sinful pleasures. Today this tower is a cultural venue for concerts, art exhibitions and weddings. 

When visiting Dolenjske Toplice, make sure to take a detour to Berryshka, where you can go on a guided tour of the distillery and chocolate maker, sample their tasty pralines, cakes and alcoholic beverages. 

The multi-vision presentation of the life of monks in the Gothic church, the outdoor museum, the shop with excellent monastery products (the famous Pleterje Williams pear liquor, wine and more).

An animal park in the Dolenjska region that is home to over 60 animals. Here you will see a camel, mouflon, lynx, parrot, racoon, prairie dogs, curly-horned sheep, miniature pigs, mountain antelope, lama, coatis and more.

This charming little town lies on an island in the middle of the Krka River. Visit the river swimming area, the former Cistercian monastery with Gothic church, the Gallery of Božidar Jakec and the Forma Viva, as well as the karst cave with interesting cave formations.

The Žužemberk Castle is one of the most typical examples of medieval fortresses in Slovenia. Its majestic remains rise up on a steep rock face above the Krka River. Trški dnevi / Days of Trško, the most popular event held at the castle, takes place around 15 July.

Visit the apitherapy beehive in the unspoilt nature of the village of Hrvaški Brod, in the direction of Šentjernej and Kostanjevica, on the edge of the Krakov Forest. Try award-winning honey products and programmes related to beekeeping, honey product tasting and apitherapy.

Hosta Stud Farm and Riding School is one of the the largest private Lipizzaner farms in Slovenia and also in Europe. It comes from a family tradition of horse breeding on a relatively small farm in the village of Sela near Šentjernej. Offered here are riding lessons for both adults and children.