When planning your route, we advise you that you choose the route through Zavodnje if you are coming from the direction of Ljubljana and not across Bele vode to avoid a gravel road.
MEŽICA
Mežica is the alpine and mining tourist centre of the Mežica Valley and it also gave the valley its name. The municipality of Mežica is located in a basin at the confluence of the Meža River and the Šumac Stream at an altitude of 491 m above sea level. Due to its location, Mežica has the characteristics of a lovely alpine centre surrounded by many peaks. The Karavanke mountain range ends here and the landscape transitions into the lower region of Pohorsko Podravje.
Mežica was known as a mining centre in the past. The Mežica lead and zinc mine is one of the oldest mines in Europe, as the ore deposits below Peca are said to have been exploited already in the late Middle Ages, and the first official written sources date back to 1665.
The long years of mining left a unique mark on people’s lives and the landscape. There are now many monuments in the town and its surroundings that point to the turbulent mining past. In order to preserve the mining heritage, some of the most important parts of the mine are arranged for tourist tours.
Due to its geographical location, Mežica is an important starting point for hiking and mountain biking enthusiasts. Mežica is one of the starting points for mountain trips to the mighty Peca mountain, which rises above the town in all its beauty and has been shrouded in the veils of the mysterious legend of King Matjaž for centuries.
The interesting church of St. Lenart with its miraculous chain, Podkraj with its characteristic granaries and Lom with beautiful views of the neighbouring Podjuna are located above Mežica. There is a beekeeping collection and several interesting interpretation points connected by a geological hiking trail. The main tourist attraction of Mežica is the Peca Underground, a tourist mine and museum.
(Photos by Miran Žlebnik)