Grad Podsreda
With 60% of its land forested and over 40% of it designated as protected area, Slovenia has a very strong natural conservation program to protect its diverse habitats. The whole Kozjanski Regional Park spanning approximately 80 sq. miles over a pre-alpine mountain range, hills, and plains along a major river is one of the oldest and largest of these protected areas. The region is also home to scenic medieval towns clustered at the base of rolling hills, renowned apple orchards and perhaps Slovenia’s most royal castle, Podsreda Castle, which has been recently renovated and now hosts overnight guests. We made this wonderful castle our home base for our last nights in Slovenia as we explored this region.
The castle was bigger than it looked. In the cellar, there were exhibits showcasing local flowers and plants with real specimens. There were also two rooms dedicated to mushrooms. So so many mushrooms. One of the most important exhibits was the impressive display of glasswork from the Kozjanski region. In the attic, there was a display of children’s artworks from the classes that take place in the castle.
They’ve done a terrific job rebranding the castle into a venue for many different purposes. Besides being a hotel and a museum, the castle can be rented out for weddings and other big events. The main hall is the stage for a series of summer concerts. Individual rooms in the castle are used for music lessons and art lessons. Podsreda Castle is once again a lively and integral part of the town below.
Rudnica Tower of Health and Joy
Our first destination was the Tower of Health and Joy on Rudnica. The actual trailhead to the hike up to the tower was a little confusing to figure out, but after a few tries, we found it. Though the trail was short, there were steep rocky sections, but that didn’t deter Chi Nga who was wearing sandals at the time.
Her determination to conquer the tricky terrain was rewarded with an amazing panoramic view of the region. The artistic spiral tower is 40m or over 131ft. above the land.
At the top, we could feel the tower swaying slightly with the breeze. It was a beautiful day to be up there looking far into the horizon in all directions.
Koča pri Čarovnici (Witch’s Cottage)
On our way down the mountain, we passed a sign for another attraction. I thought it was the old school house, so we made a U-turn. Turning into the parking lot, we realized my mistake, but since we’d already stopped, why not investigate this interesting location with a really long name, Land of Fairy Tales and Imagination Witch’s Hut. The funny thing is, as I was looking over the guidebook, this was the one location I was absolutely sure I didn’t need to explore. Haha
Over a period of three decades, the original owner of this piece of the forest carved and created characters from children’s fairy tales out of wood to decorate the land for his family to enjoy. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed this place as a child. It’s a little on the morbid side, especially the witchy exhibits, but it is an interesting place for sure. As his collection amassed, it became more popular. Now, the place is run by his grandson and is visited by people from all over the world.
Olimje Monastery
Our next stop was the Olimje Minorite Monastery. A beautiful mansion a long time ago, it was then turned into a monastery with an established herbal pharmacy. An herbal and botanical garden with over 200 plants adorn the front of the monastery. It is the third oldest pharmacy in Europe. From afar, the details on the façade of the monastery looked incredible, but upon closer observation, we realized it was painted on. That sort of took the authenticity away from the location for me. By the time we finished walking around the monastery, the sun was beaming down pretty strong and our stomachs were calling for attention. We stopped at a highly recommended restaurant that sourced all their ingredients from the farms within the region for what we thought was a quick lunch.
The meal took longer than expected and by the time our tummies were full, the afternoon laziness was coming on. We drove back to the castle for a quick rest followed by a self-guided tour of the castle.
Podsreda Hike
There was so much we wanted to do but we were running out of time. So instead of a full hike from the top of the old church, down to the town square and back up the mountain to the castle, we decided to shorten the distance. Lyle and I drove down to the little town of Podsreda, parked our car beside the new church and started walking through town, past the old mill on our way up to the castle.
Chi Nga and Anh Vu started the hike from the castle going down. We met somewhere on the trail, at which point, we handed the car key over to Anh Vu.
As we got close to the top, we detoured onto a smaller trail that led up to an old shrine and a somewhat open view of the valley below.
The sun was just going to bed. Lyle pulled out his drone for the first time during the whole trip and caught some great footage and photos of the valley at sunset. Sitting still on the bench operating the drone, Lyle quickly became a mosquito magnet. Luckily I had our reliable insect spray on hand, and with a quick spray, we were safe from being eaten alive. Just as Lyle finished the drone flight, Anh Vu drove around the bend and gave us a lift back to the castle.
The next morning, we awoke bright and early for our last road trip back to the airport. What a wonderful trip full of fun adventures and beautiful sights. We loved having Phong, Sandy, Anh Vu and Chi Nga with us. What we’ve seen of Slovenia has only whetted our appetites. We’ll definitely find ourselves back in Slovenia again for more adventures in the future.