Velenje - the town of youth

A young town with an interesting history
Velenje, the center of Šaleška valley, is one of the better developed industrial centers of Slovenia. The biggest industrial motors are Gorenje and the mine, but there are many other industrial and non industrial companies functioning in the town.

Although the area’s development is linked with coal mining, there are some archeological founds dating first settlements way back in time to the later Paleolithic. In Mornova zijala nad cave Špehovka near Huda luknja, there are finds showing prehistoric men lived there and in Bevče near Velenje evidence of iron age. In Velenje itself they’ve found a roman grave and some coins, as well as in near by Šmartno ob Paki and Šoštan, where there are also remains of a Roman wall. Somewhere near the modern city ov Velenje there was the old Roman post stop of Upellae, which formed a vital link (along with Colatio) in connecting Celeia (modern Celje) with Virunumom (at the field of Gosposvetsko polje).

The first castles are mentioned in the early middle ages and have played an important role of the development of the valley ever since. There were over 20 castles and manors and the town became more important in the 16th century when it was an important center of protestant life in the region of Štajerska.

The development of the mining industry allowed the construction of a thermal power plant Šoštanj, along with the development of house appliance factory Gorenje – which started the process of urbanization of the town. After WWII the construction of New Velenje took place, to provide enough workforce for the growing industry. There was a strong immigration into the town, mostly from other republics of former Yugoslavia (at the time Slovenia was part of it). Velenje got the status of a city in 20. 9. 1959 and thus became the youngest city in Yugoslavia (under the name of Titovo Velenje).

Sights around Velenje

The castle of Velenje
It stands on a bedrock above the town itself. It’s one of the best preserved castles in Slovenia. The exact date of construction is not known, but it’s dated to the mid 13th century. The castle now houses a museum with many permanent collections of art works, as well as the remains of a mastodon, baroque art, Slovenian painters from the 20th century and a reconstruction of a shop and inn from the period when “Velenje was becoming a town.”

More info at www.muzej-velenje.si .

Slovenian mining museum
The mining museum of Slovenia is one of the best visited underground locations in the country. The descend with the mining elevator to the underground museum, equipped with the sound effects of an actual mine is the beginning of the underground exploration of shafts, once used for mining coal. The visitors learn about the history and current situation of Slovenian mining in an underground museum that’s unique for being accessible also for people in a wheel chair (a true rarity in whole of the Europe).
You get to see the entire presentation of mining development prior to 1930 and the museum received numerous awards for its collections and presentations.

Visiting the museum will make clear to you, why people there greeted eachother with “Srečno (Good luck)!”

More info at www.rlv.si.

Visit hihostels.com to book hostel Velenje and other hostels in Slovenia.