Velenje

A vacation in Velenje (known in German as Wöllan), Slovenia, is a trip to a very special city: after World War II, it was planned as a model city of socialism. Today it draws visitors with a large underground mining museum, a castle on a rock, and a lake created by coal mining.

Location and History

Velenje lies in the Šalek Valley in northern Slovenia, between Celje and the Karawanks. Beneath the valley lies one of Europe's largest lignite deposits, which shaped the development of the city. In the 1950s and 1960s, a new town with wide streets, parks, and modernist apartment blocks for miners was built next to the old market town. On the main square stands one of the largest Tito statues in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Velenje is also home to the appliance maker Gorenje, one of the best-known companies in the country. Where the ground sank above old mine shafts, the depressions filled with water, creating several lakes.

Sights in Velenje

The Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia is the top attraction: you ride a cage about 160 meters down, walk through old tunnels, and experience the work underground before sampling a miner's meal in a dining hall. Above the old town stands Velenje Castle, with a museum that includes a collection of African art. In summer, Lake Velenje is a popular gathering spot with a beach, walking paths, and water sports. The surrounding area includes the spa town of Topolšica and the Savinja Valley, where you can hike, cycle, and stay overnight on farms.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

In the Šalek Valley, the cooking is Styrian: sauerkraut and sausages, žganci (buckwheat or cornmeal mush), soups, and strudel. The miner's dish served at the museum is also well known. Velenje is about 25 kilometers north of Celje and can be reached via the A1 motorway and an expressway; buses run from Ljubljana and Celje. The best time to visit is from May to September, when the lake invites swimming and festivals take place in summer.