Dolenjske Toplice

September is the most pleasant month, with warm, settled days that suit forest walks. Late spring and early autumn are also good, though May and June bring frequent showers. July and August are warm and sometimes humid, with afternoon storms. Winters are cold, with frost and some snow, but the spa is a good choice in cold weather.

The thermal resort of Terme Dolenjske Toplice is the heart of the village. Its Balnea wellness centre has thermal pools and saunas fed by the warm local springs, and a separate water park has four slides and shallow pools for children.

Base 20 was the secret headquarters of the Slovenian Partisan leadership from 1943 to 1944. Its 26 wooden barracks, hidden deep in the forest, housed up to 180 people and were never found by the occupying armies. Today it is an open-air museum, about a 20-minute drive south of the village.

Jelendol Partisan Hospital is a secret wartime hospital in a wooded hollow in the Rog forest. Ten restored timber buildings still stand, and 330 wounded fighters were treated here.

Zgornji Hrastnik Partisan Hospital is the second Partisan hospital in the forest that survives intact. More than 400 wounded fighters were treated in its hidden huts.

Rajhenavski Rog Virgin Forest is a virgin forest of old fir and beech trees. Protected since 1892, it is one of the first nature reserves in the world. You cannot enter the reserve itself, but a short trail leads along its edge.

Soteska Castle stands by the Krka River, about 5 km north of the village. The ruins belong to a 17th-century mansion that was once called one of the most beautiful in the region. In its old garden stands the Hudičev turn, or Devil's Tower, a small pavilion decorated with old paintings.

A stay here is about warm water, deep forest and quiet walks.

• Thermal bath ritual: Spend a slow evening moving between the warm thermal pools and the saunas of the resort.
• A trip to the centre of the Earth: In Sitar House, a short 4D show takes you on an imaginary journey underground to find where the warm springs come from. It suits families.
• Hiking in Kočevski Rog: Start at the ruins of the old Rog sawmill, a popular trailhead deep in the forest, and walk among tall firs and beeches.
• Guided virgin forest hike: From March to October, local guides from Kočevje lead walks to the edge of the Rajhenavski Rog reserve and the giant fir known as the Queen of Rog.

The towns and castles of the Krka valley are close by, and a car makes them easy to reach.

• Novo Mesto: About 15 minutes by car. The regional capital has an old town on a river bend, a cathedral and the Dolenjska Museum.
• Žužemberk: About 20 minutes by car. A large castle with round towers stands above the Krka in this small town.
• Otočec Castle: About 25 minutes by car. This castle stands on a small island in the Krka and is now a hotel with a park around it.
• Kočevje: About 40 minutes by car, across the Rog forest. The town is the starting point for guided walks to the virgin forests of the region.
• Ljubljana: About 1 hour by car. Slovenia's capital has a castle, a river lined with cafés and a compact old town.

• By air: There is no airport nearby. Ljubljana Airport and Zagreb Airport in Croatia are each about 1 hour 15 minutes away by car. Public transport from either needs several changes, so a rental car or a pre-booked transfer is easiest.
• By train: The nearest station is in Novo Mesto, 13 km away. Trains from Ljubljana take about 1 h 30 min to 2 h. Continue by bus or taxi. Slovenian Railways
• By bus: Regional buses link the village with Novo Mesto, but services are infrequent, especially at weekends.
• By car: Dolenjske Toplice is about 80 km from Ljubljana, or about 1 hour. Take the A2 motorway towards Novo Mesto, then the regional road south. Motorways in Slovenia need an e-vignette.

• On foot: The village is small and flat. The spa hotels, the main square, shops and inns are all a few minutes apart.
• Buses: Local buses are rare and do not reach the forest sights. Base 20, the hospitals and the virgin forest need a car, a bike or a guided tour.
• Cycling: Quiet country roads lead to Soteska and the Krka valley. Forest roads in Kočevski Rog are long and climb steeply.
• Tourist information: The office is in Sitar House on the main square. Visit Dolenjska

• Is a car worth it?: Yes. The village is walkable, but the forest sights, the castles and the Krka valley are hard to reach without a car.
• Parking: The spa hotels have car parks next to them. Base 20 has a sandy car park below the barracks.
• Forest roads: Roads in Kočevski Rog are narrow and winding, with no villages or fuel stations for long stretches. Fill the tank before you leave and watch for wildlife at dusk.

Dolenjska cooking is simple and filling. Look for žganci (buckwheat or corn mush), dumplings and porridges on local menus. The region is also known for cviček, a light, slightly sour red wine made only in Dolenjska.

The best places to eat are the spa hotel restaurants, which serve dishes based on traditional Dolenjska recipes, and the family-run inns around the village centre.

Dolenjske Toplice is a very safe, quiet village, and crime against visitors is rare.

Kočevski Rog is home to brown bears. Encounters are rare, but stay on marked trails, make some noise as you walk and never leave food out. Ticks are common in the forests from spring to autumn, so check your skin after a walk.

In the forest, mobile signal can be weak and the roads are long. Tell someone your plans before a long hike.

The warm springs were known in the Middle Ages, and the village was first recorded as Topliz in 1228. The Counts of Auersperg built the first proper baths in 1658. Today it is one of the oldest spa resorts in Europe. The village was called simply Toplice until 1953.

Count Georg Sigmund von Gallenberg built the mansion at Soteska in the 17th century. The historian Johann Weikhard von Valvasor called it one of the most beautiful castles in Carniola. Partisans burned it in October 1943, and only the ruins of Soteska Castle and the painted garden pavilion remain.

During the Second World War, the dense forests of Kočevski Rog hid the leaders of the Slovenian resistance. Base 20 served as their headquarters from April 1943 to December 1944, and secret hospitals cared for the wounded nearby. Of 24 hospitals in the area, only Jelendol Partisan Hospital and Zgornji Hrastnik Partisan Hospital survive. The forest also holds sites of the mass killings that followed the war, now marked with memorials.

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