Page 176 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 176
he Culture of Wine in Slovenia
The Šmarje-Virštajn wine route leads
from Šentjur near Celje through
Gorica and Slivnica to Virštajn and
from there to Pilštajn, Lesična and
Podsreda, where there is the best
preserved castle in Slovenia; it goes
through the Trebče memorial park,
past the hill Sveta gora to Bistrica
and then back via the spa Atomske
Toplice, past Šmarje near Jelše to
Rogaška Slatina. On the way there are
tourist resorts with thermal waters
or spas and many well-managed
winemaking tourist farms. Near
the spa resort of Rogaška Slatina,
at the top of a slope, neatly planted
with grapevines, there is a vineyard
cottage and next to it a new chapel
dedicated to the patron saint of
Slovene winemakers, Anton Martin
Slomšek. On the route there are
many works of sacral art, such as
the Olimje monastery, which houses
the oldest pharmacy in Slovenia.
A klopotec bird scarer on Sekirnikova gorca in
Kamence, 2006. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
(Life without holidays is like a long road without
an inn.) The legendary sign on the way to Svete
Gore above Bistrica on the River Sotla, 2006.
Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
172
The Šmarje-Virštajn wine route leads
from Šentjur near Celje through
Gorica and Slivnica to Virštajn and
from there to Pilštajn, Lesična and
Podsreda, where there is the best
preserved castle in Slovenia; it goes
through the Trebče memorial park,
past the hill Sveta gora to Bistrica
and then back via the spa Atomske
Toplice, past Šmarje near Jelše to
Rogaška Slatina. On the way there are
tourist resorts with thermal waters
or spas and many well-managed
winemaking tourist farms. Near
the spa resort of Rogaška Slatina,
at the top of a slope, neatly planted
with grapevines, there is a vineyard
cottage and next to it a new chapel
dedicated to the patron saint of
Slovene winemakers, Anton Martin
Slomšek. On the route there are
many works of sacral art, such as
the Olimje monastery, which houses
the oldest pharmacy in Slovenia.
A klopotec bird scarer on Sekirnikova gorca in
Kamence, 2006. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
(Life without holidays is like a long road without
an inn.) The legendary sign on the way to Svete
Gore above Bistrica on the River Sotla, 2006.
Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
172
