Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the way to
Vinomer
and
Drašiči
, two important wine towns about 4km and 6km
respectively from Metlika, you'll walk through
steljniki,
stands of birch trees growing
among ferns in clay soil - the very symbol of Bela Krajina.
Drašiči is famous for its folk architecture, and you can sample local wines at several
places, including the
Simonič farmhouse
( 041 572 596, 305 81 85; Drašiči 56)
and
the
Prus farmhouse
( 041 690 112, 305 90 98; Krmačina 6)
. Be sure to phone ahead.
Ask the TIC in Metlika about wine tastings at the 250-year-old
Soseska Zidanica
(
041 788 938; Drašiči 46; by appointment)
, a vineyard cottage next to the Church of St
Peter in the centre of Drašiči.
Črnomelj
07 / POP 14,717 / ELEV 163M
The capital of Bela Krajina and its largest town, Črnomelj (pronounced cher-
no
-ml) is on
a promontory in a loop where the Lahinja and Dobličica Rivers meet. This relaxed town is
the 'folk heart' of Bela Krajina, and its popular Jurjevanje festival attracts hundreds of
dancers and singers from the region.
Črnomelj's Roman presence is evident from the Mithraic shrine at Rožanec, about 4km
northwest of the town. During the Turkish invasions in the 15th and 16th centuries the
town was attacked incessantly, but due to its strong fortifications and excellent hilltop
lookouts it was never taken. After Italy's surrender in 1943, the town functioned for a time
as Slovenia's capital.
Legend has it that Črnomelj (a corruption of the words for 'black miller') got its name
when a beggar, dissatisfied with the quality of the flour she'd been given, put a curse on
the local miller. The town's symbol today is a smiling baker holding a pretzel.
