Novo Mesto

May to October is the best time, and September is often the most pleasant month. Summers are warm and fairly humid, with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are cold, with frequent frost and some snow, and many outdoor activities stop.

The biggest annual event is the Situlae Festival in June. For one evening the main square turns into an Iron Age fair, with old crafts, period food, fire shows and a late guided tour of the situlae in the museum.

Novo Mesto Town Hall stands in the middle of Glavni trg, the largest medieval square in Slovenia. Arcaded houses line the long, sloping square. From its lower end, walk to the Kandija bridge for the classic view of the Breg houses, built in 1786 on top of the old town walls above the river.

Novo Mesto Cathedral rises on Kapitelj hill above the Krka bend. The church combines Gothic and Baroque parts, and its high altar holds The Vision of Saint Nicholas, a painting by the Venetian master Tintoretto from around 1582.

Dolenjska Museum is the town's most important museum. Its archaeology rooms show the rich Iron Age finds from local graves, including bronze helmets, armour, amber jewellery and finely decorated situlae. Other rooms cover rural life and World War II in Dolenjska.

Jakac House is the museum's art gallery, set in a former family hotel from 1904. It shows a large collection of works by Božidar Jakac, plus art from Dolenjska and changing exhibitions.

Franciscan Church of St Leonard sits just off the main square. Franciscans have lived here since the 15th century, and their library is the oldest in town.

Leon Štukelj Statue in the town centre shows the gymnast Leon Štukelj in one of his routines. Born here in 1898, he won three Olympic gold medals.

Otočec Castle sits on a small island in the Krka, about 7 km east of the centre. It is the only water castle in Slovenia and is now a hotel, but you can cross the bridge and walk in the riverside park around it.

A few things that make a stay in Novo mesto different:

• Weekend at the wine cottages on Trška gora: On weekends some wine cottages on the hill open their doors from morning to early evening. Winemakers pour their own cviček for you to taste.
• Paddle on the Krka: The river is slow and green around the old town. In summer you can rent a boat or a stand-up paddleboard at the town beach, or join a rafting trip.
• Walk the Three Castles Trail: This 8.7 km trail links Otočec Castle with the castles of Stari Grad and Hmeljnik, through fields, forest and vineyards.
• Hike in the Gorjanci hills: The forested ridge south-east of town has mountain huts, springs and the summit of Trdinov vrh on the Croatian border.

Many good trips from Novo mesto take less than 30 minutes by car. Public transport to the villages is limited, so a car or bike helps.

• Trška gora – about 10 min north-east by car. A vineyard hill covered with small wine cottages, with a pilgrimage church and wide views.
• Šmarješke Toplice – about 15 min north-east by car. A quiet thermal spa resort set in woods, with indoor and outdoor pools.
• Dolenjske Toplice – about 20 min south-west by car. A spa village at the edge of the large Kočevski Rog forests.
• Pleterje Charterhouse – about 20 min east by car. The only active Carthusian monastery in Slovenia, with a Gothic church, a shop selling the monks' wine and pear brandy, and an open-air museum of old farm buildings.
• Kostanjevica na Krki – about 30 min east by car. The smallest town in Slovenia sits on an island in the Krka. Visit Božidar Jakac Art Museum in a former monastery with its park of large wooden sculptures, and Kostanjevica Cave nearby.
• Žužemberk – about 30 min west by car. A large castle stands on a cliff above the Krka, with small waterfalls on the river below.
• Metlika and Bela krajina – about 35 min south by car over the Gorjanci hills. A border region known for birch groves, local wines and folk traditions.
• Sevnica – about 45 min north by car. A small town on the Sava with a castle on the hill above it.
• Ljubljana – about 1 h by car on the motorway. The capital has a castle, a green old town and cafés along the river.

Novo mesto is the centre of Dolenjska, in south-east Slovenia near the Croatian border.

• Spas: Dolenjske Toplice is the closest spa village, south-west of the town.
• Along the Sava: Sevnica lies to the north, across the hills.
• The capital: Ljubljana is about an hour away by car or bus.

• By air: The nearest airports are Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport and Zagreb Airport in Croatia. Both are about an hour away by car. Without a car, take a bus or shuttle to Ljubljana and continue by train or bus.
• By train: Regional trains run from Ljubljana in about 1 h 30 min to 2 h. Novo mesto station is about 15 minutes' walk north-west of the old town; Novo mesto Kandija station is just across the river from the centre. Slovenian Railways
• By bus: Intercity buses link the town with Ljubljana and other towns in Dolenjska.
• By car: The A2 motorway between Ljubljana and Zagreb passes just north of the town. Slovenian motorways need an e-vignette.

• On foot: The old town covers a small hill inside the river bend. The main square, the cathedral, the museums and the Kandija bridge are all within a 10-minute walk, though some streets are steep.
• City buses: A few local bus lines connect the centre with the outer districts. Most visitors will not need them.
• Cycling: Riverside paths and quiet country roads make cycling pleasant. The visitor centre on Trška gora rents e-bikes for the vineyard hills.
• Tourist information: The office at Glavni trg 11 has maps, event details and help with trips around Dolenjska. Visit Novo Mesto

• Is a car worth it?: Not for the old town, which is small and walkable. A car is very useful for the vineyards, castles, spas and monasteries around Dolenjska, where buses are rare.
• Parking: Use the car parks on the edge of the old town, such as the one at Kandija across the bridge, and walk in. Streets inside the old town are narrow and parking there is limited.
• Motorway e-vignette: Slovenian motorways, including the A2 past Novo mesto, need an e-vignette. Buy it online before you join the motorway.

Dolenjska is the home of cviček, a light red wine made by blending red and white grapes. It is low in alcohol, fresh and slightly tart, and it can only be made in this region. Locals drink it with hearty home cooking such as roast meats, sausages and štruklji, rolled dumplings with sweet or savoury fillings. The monks of Pleterje are known for their pear brandy.

For eating out, start on Glavni trg and the streets around it, where cafés and restaurants put tables outside in summer. For a more local meal, drive out to an inn or an open wine cottage on Trška gora and the other vineyard hills around the town.

Novo mesto is a safe town with low crime. Normal care with bags is enough, and the old town is quiet at night.

Tap water is safe to drink. Ticks are common in the forests and meadows of Dolenjska, so check your skin after hikes. If you swim in the Krka, stay near the shore, as currents can be stronger than they look.

People lived on the hills around the Krka bend from about the 10th century BC. In the Iron Age the area was a seat of local princes, who were buried with helmets, weapons and decorated bronze situlae. Many of these finds are now in Dolenjska Museum.

The town itself was founded in 1365 by the Habsburg duke Rudolf IV, who named it Rudolfswerth after himself. The Teutonic Knights had a house here, and their former building now holds the museum. In the 15th century Franciscans fled the Ottoman raids in Bela krajina and settled in town, building Franciscan Church of St Leonard. From 1746 they also ran the town's grammar school. In the late 16th century the church on Kapitelj hill received its Tintoretto painting, and it later became Novo Mesto Cathedral.

In 1786 poor townspeople built the Breg houses on the old walls above the river. In the 20th century Novo mesto grew into an industrial town known for cars and medicines. Its most famous son, the gymnast Leon Štukelj, is remembered with Leon Štukelj Statue.

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