Hotels in Metlika among wine and history

Metlika combines a strong wine tradition with an old town centre. The oldest part of the town lies below Veselica Hill; the area was already settled in prehistoric times, while Metlika emerged in the Middle Ages. Specific sites, collections and regional specialities are connected to Bela krajina.

History

Metlika, then still called Novi trg, had a town wall by 1365 at the latest. Metliški grad was first mentioned in 1456 and is probably considerably older. The permanent exhibition of the Belokranjski Museum in the castle is entitled “The Life of the People in Bela krajina from Prehistory to the Mid-20th Century”. Early settlement, the development of the medieval town and the history of the wider region thus form part of a shared historical context.

Culture and Events

The Galerija Kambič houses a collection of national importance featuring cultural and historical objects and works by various Slovenian artists. The gallery is located in the birthplace of Academician Kambič. Another way to get to know Metlika is offered by Metliški dragulji: this guided experience combines stories told by a local guide with stops at important historical points and insights into Metlika’s tangible and intangible heritage.

Since 1992, the Metliška folklorna skupina Ivan Navratil has performed the Metliško obredje every Easter Monday at Trg svobode in Metlika’s old town centre. Under the name Vuzemski plesi in igre in Metlika, it includes the dance metliško kolo as well as the dance games rešetca, al' je kaj trden ta vaš must, robčeci, kurji boj and turn.

The Vinska vigred is a recurring three-day festival in Metlika’s old town centre featuring wine, cuisine, music and folklore. During the event, winemakers from Bela krajina and a selection of wines rated by the Vinski plac at Mestni trg are presented by the Društvo vinogradnikov Metlika.

Wine and Cuisine

A prominent centre of the wine industry is the Vinska klet Metlika. The fully underground tunnel cellar is 108 metres long, was built in 1958 and can store up to three million litres of wine. Visitors can reserve tours with wine tastings there. The history of wine production is also associated with special vintages: in 1981, Vinska klet Metlika produced the first Slovenian rosé wine, and in 1986, under the direction of Dr Julij Nemanič, the first ice wine in what was then Yugoslavia.

Regional cuisine includes a workshop on preparing Belokranjska pogača. Under expert guidance, it covers making the dough as well as tasting traditional wines from Bela krajina and seasonal regional specialities.

Nature and Trails

Above Metlika lies Veselica, a 233-metre-high viewpoint hill shaped by viticulture. The hill is a popular vantage point for locals and day-trippers. A walking trail around Metlika and through the old town centre begins at Pungart, the starting point for the town’s hiking trails.

There is also Metliška pustolovščina, an approximately two-hour immersive experience through the old town that begins and ends at Hiša dobrot Bele krajine. There, visitors collect a backpack, equipment, a map and a small refreshment; the map and a series of tasks lead through the old town centre.

A cycling route leads from Metlika town centre to three Gothic pilgrimage churches, through birch-covered steljniki and vineyards with zidanice to Drašiči. In the wider region around Metlika, visitors can travel on the water by kayak, canoe, raft or SUP from spring to autumn.

For further location options in this destination, see also Gradac.

For the higher-level travel overview: Metlika.