A place where Bine and I like to sit in the summer is on the terrace of restaurant Koren in Žužemberk, on the banks of the Krka. From there, you have a beautiful view of the castle that towers above the river. In the summer, and especially on the weekends, it is always full here with mostly local people but also tourists who enjoy the refreshing water. At the restaurant, you can also rent canoes that are often used.

The Krka river has its source near the village of Krka, about 20 km from here, and then runs through Žužemberk, Novo mesto towards Krško and then flows into the Sava river at Brežica. The total length is 94 km. This makes it the second longest river that flows in its entirety in Slovenia.

The Krka also has a number of natural meanders, such as at the town of Novo mesto. The old center is almost three-quarters surrounded by such a meander. This is clearly visible from the air, as in the photo below.

The river has many waterfalls and rafting takes place regularly. There are many beautiful spots along the river where you can sit and walk. In many places the river is shallow and you can wade through it.

Unfortunately, the temperature of the water often does almost never not exceed about 18 degrees and is therefore not for me :(. But especially children don’t care about that and swim in the river a lot. The quality of the water is closely monitored and has been good all the time, for as long as I have lived here.

There is also regular fishing around the bridge in Žužemberk. A permit is required for this. Fly fishing is especially popular, where the fisherman stands in the river in special clothing. There is a lot of trout in the Krka and you can eat fresh trout from the river at most restaurants in the area. Trout is mainly fried on the barbeque here and eaten with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Delicious!

The river used to be a source of water and energy for the many craft workshops located on it, such as mills, sawmills, and iron factories. And a good example of this can be found in Dvor, where there used to be an iron casting factory that was opened in 1796 and was in operation until 1896. You can still see a part of the blast furnaces and a small museum was opened a few years ago, which you can only visit by appointment.

The road from us to Novo mesto, about 30 kilometers, is recommended by the way. You drive along the river almost the whole time and especially now, during this period, it is just really a feast on the eyes! All that beautiful young, brightly colored green on the trees. Unbelievably pretty! Unfortunately, this beauty is almost impossible to capture in a photo. At least not with my phone. So you really just have to experience it for yourself and come over to Žužemberk :). Along the way, you will pass through different villages and see 2 stork nests. On the river, you often see groups of swans together in different places and many gray and white herons can also be found there. Somewhere halfway there are also beavers, and you can sometimes see cleaved trees along the banks. Wooded hills and vineyards with wineries on both sides of the road. There is so much to see! We drive this road about 1 or 2 times a week, and it remains a pleasure, every single time. So …… maybe see you soon on the banks of the Krka :)?!