The Lower Carniola Castles can offer you a lot

Two more interesting Lower Carniola Castles on the north bank of the Krka are Hmeljnik near the village of Karteljevo and Stari grad (Old Castle) above Otočec.

Hmeljnik is perched on the slope of Hmeljniški boršt and is an attractive place to visit. It is clearly visible from the Ljubljana - Zagreb main road.

The castle is first mentioned in written sources in 1217, and is ranked among the most important Romanesque castles in Slovenia. Unfortunately it met with the same fate as many other Slovene castles. It was burned down in 1941. After the war it was shelled and destroyed by explosives. Today Hmeljnik Castle is partly reconstructed.

Stari grad lies on the slope of Trška gora (428m) amidst vineyards and cottages. It, too, is clearly visible from the main road. Its first known owners were the patriarchs of Aquileia. The first knight of Stari grad was Albert, mentioned in written sources in the period from 1230-1232. In 1350 the castle becomes the property of the Ortenburgs. Thanks to the Krka factory in Novo mesto, it is currently being renovated.

Southwest of Novo mesto, along the Trebnje – Novo mesto railway line lays the village of Mirna peč in the Temenica River valley. In the 16th century this village was fortified with strong walls. A number of smaller villages and hamlets can be found in the valley.

Only a few kilometers north of Otočec are the Šmarješke toplice spa with its three thermal springs. The beginnings of tourism here date back to 1790. The spa was modernized in the period between the two wars.

Soon after passing Družinska vas, the Ljubljana – Zagreb main road leaves the Krka River and makes a sweeping curve northward and then turns east towards the Posavje region. The road crosses the Krka River only once, just before its confluence with the Sava River near Čatež.

Uf, castles, spas, villages, a lot to visit is it not? Come on and check it out for yourself, you will not regret it...

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