The town of Pleterje and the surrounding area

The Carthusian monastery of Pleterje, established in 1407 by the Counts of Celje, is in an isolated valley below the Gorjanci range, south of Šentjernej.

In 1899 it was purchased by the Carthusians, who completely reconstructed it. All that has remained of the old monastery is the Gothic church. The monastery still operates today. The walled in area covers 20 hectares of land and the total ground floor area of buildings exceeds 4 hectares.

To the south the road leads across the Gorjanci range to Bela krajina. East of Novo mesto between Brusnice and the larger settlement of Šentjernej is the Gracarjev turn Castle, which acquired its present-day appearance in the late 16th century. Only one kilometer south is Vrhovo Castle, and further south above the village of Cerov log, at the foot of the Gorjanci range, is the small Prežek Castle, first mentioned in written sources in 1180.

The most celebrated castle of the Dolenjska region is undoubtedly Otočec Castle, which lies on an island in the Krka River not far from the village of Otočec. This is a rare example of a water castle in Slovenia. Its origins go far back to the middle Ages. During World War II the castle suffered extensive damage, but has been fully reconstructed. Further ahead is the Struga Castle on the south bank of the Krka River.

The border with Croatia runs along the Gorjanci mountain range, whose highest peak is Trdinov vrh (1178m). Gospodična (828m), which rises above Gabrje, offers a sweeping view of the surroundings, and on clear days, even of mountains Triglav and Nanos.

From here to there, every where in Slovenia is a lovely place to visit. Check out for yourself...

From Pleterje back to Lower Carniola