Radovljica

Radovljica's old town is a single long square on a terrace above the Sava gorge, closed at one end by a defensive ditch, with painted Gothic and Renaissance houses down both sides. The Apiculture Museum in the Thurn manor is the reason many people come: it holds the country's collection of painted beehive front panels, the folk pictures that Carniolan beekeepers put on their hives from the eighteenth century, along with material on Anton Janša. The town has also become known for its chocolate makers.

History

The settlement around a church built for the Patriarchs of Aquileia is first mentioned in a deed of 1296 and received market rights from Duke Henry of Carinthia in 1333. The Counts of Ortenburg held it in the 14th century, the Counts of Celje inherited it in 1418, and on the death of Ulrich II of Celje in 1456 it passed to Emperor Frederick III (Wikipedia, Radovljica).

What's there

• The painted hive panels - the national collection of Carniolan beehive front boards.
• The Apiculture Museum - the beekeeping collection in the Thurn manor.
• Linhart Square - the single long square of painted Gothic and Renaissance houses.
• The chocolate makers - several small producers with shops in the old town.

When to go

Year round; the chocolate festival falls in April and fills the town. Summer is busiest with day trips from Bled. Museums close on Mondays.

Things to know

The old town is one street and is quickly walked. Museum opening is shorter in winter and closed on Mondays. It is often treated as a stop on the way to Bled rather than a destination.

Nearby

Bled is west, and Kropa is southeast.

Key facts