Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Walkfromthemuseumupthroughthishardworkingyetcharmingvillage.Noticethe
canals
that have been split off from the main river to channel water to turn waterwheels (you'll see
a replica waterwheel by the Uko factory).
The main
bridge
through town offers a good view up and down the thundering river,
so packed with energy for harnessing—making it clear why this was an attractive place for
early industry. The blocky, boldly communist-era
monument
next to the bridge honors the
PartisanswhodiedduringWorldWarIIwhileevictingtheNazisfromYugoslavia.Although
its aesthetic is off-putting Socialist Realism, its content—with locally made iron decora-
tions—is unique to Kropa. Notice the depiction of a Kropa resident handing over his ham-
mer in exchange fora rifle. While this is a heroic image, most people from Kropa have long
enjoyed military exemption—since their metalworking prowess was so valuable to the war
effort.ThecommunistYugoslavgovernment—alwayseagertocelebrateindustryforitsrole
in advancing the cause of the proletariat—made Kropa Slovenia's first town to be protected
as a cultural monument, in 1953.
