Slovenj Gradec

Route Description

Take a walk along the circular path through the city of Slovenj Gradec and get to know its medieval past and its modern lively pulse. This nicely landscaped place has something for every family member, even the youngest ones. 

Slovenj Gradec is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Mislinja Valley and the oldest town in the Carinthia region. This old city, sheltered by St. Ursula Mountain (Uršlja Gora) and the neighbouring Pohorje range has a lively cultural activity, a rich past and a vibrant modern beat. The disproportionate industrial development, which marked most Slovene cities in the 19th and 20th centuries, spared Slovenj Gradec. This way, the rapid economic and service options development in recent years has merged with the ancient spiritual tradition and natural resources in the immediate vicinity of the urban centre. Historical monuments connect us to the past at every turn and easily lull us into a sense of romantic nostalgia, while also reminding us that we are only but short chapters of a story that began in antiquity.

A living connection with the past and the richness of cultural heritage is the foundation of cultural development and a central feature of local identity even now. Slovenj Gradec received town rights in 1267, while its parish church, the first one to be dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, the patron saint of the poor and homeless, was built in 1251. Hugo Wolf, a famous composer, a child prodigy who was playing piano and violin at a very young age, was born here in 1860. 

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Koroška (KGLU) is a museum of visual arts, focusing on the collection and study of art from the second half of the 20th century onwards, and is an important social agent that addresses questions and highlights issues that are often neglected in the general discourse. Even today, the four large-scale international exhibitions (1966, 1975, 1979 and 1985) organized under the auspices of the United Nations Organization still well represent the mission of the gallery, as they provided the basis for the Museum’s international collection, which carries even greater symbolic meaning in light of current events and developments today. The Gallery’s activities contributed significantly to the creation of a specific identity of the city of Slovenj Gradec, which was granted the title of UN Messenger of Peace in 1989 (Source: KGLU main website). 

We walked through the city past the main sights: the aforementioned KGLU, Carinthian Regional Museum of Slovenj Gradec, the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, the medieval city walls and city park, Rotenturn Manor and Hugo Wolf birthplace. We also made a "short" stop at the Honey Paradise Perger (Perger 1757-Medeni raj), where we rewarded ourselves with the Bio Perger candy. We sought refuge from the rain in the Mestna kavarna coffee shop, and observed the beautiful city over some coffee.