Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Slovenia's oldest linden is the 800-year-old Najevska Lipa under Koroška's Mt Peca, where Slovenian politi-
cians meet in July. We give it another century.
Slovenj Gradec
02 / POP 8340 / ELEV 410M
Slovenj Gradec isn't the 'capital' of Koroška - that distinction goes to the industrial centre
of Ravne na Koroškem to the northwest - but it is certainly the province's cultural and re-
creational heart. A large number of museums, galleries and historical churches line its
main square, while the sporting opportunities in the Pohorje Massif to the east are many.
Slovenj Gradec's main street is Glavni trg, a colourful long 'square' lined with old town
houses and shops. The bus station is at Pohorska cesta 15, about 500m northeast of the
TIC. Slovenj Gradec is not on a train line.
History
The history of Slovenj Gradec is closely tied to Stari Trg, a suburb southwest of the Old
Town where there was a Roman settlement called Colatio that existed from the 1st to the
3rd centuries (though there is no trace of it now). At that time an important Roman road
from Celeia (Celje) to Virunum (near Klagenfurt in Austria) passed through Colatio.
Slovenj Gradec was an important trade centre in the Middle Ages and minted its own
coins. Later it became an important cultural and artistic centre with many artisans and
craft guilds. Among the prominent Habsburg nobles based in Slovenj Gradec over the
centuries were members of the Windisch-Grätz family, a variant of the German name for
the town (Windisch Graz).
