Culture and history of the Geopark

Thanks to the interaction between man and nature, an area with outstanding features and high aesthetic, ecological, natural and cultural value was created. Consequently, the Geopark is a significant opportunity to present and highlight these values and to inform and make people aware of them. The cultural heritage on the Geopark territory is very diversified and includes movable, immovable, intangible and living cultural heritage.

 
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The movable cultural heritage

 

The movable cultural heritage is preserved and presented in the following museums or collections: Koroška Rural Museum (Koroški pokrajinski muzej), Museum of the Underworld Petzen (Podzemlje Pece), Ethnological Collection in Črna, Polhov mlin mill, Dvornik Museum, Archaeological Pilgrim Museum Globasnitz (Arheološki romarski muzeju v Globasnici), Hemmaberg (Gora Sv. Heme), some smaller local museums, historical buildings and mining objects in the municipalities of Bleiburg/Pliberk, Bad Eisenkappel/Železna Kapla, Feistritz ob Bleiburg/Bistrica nad Pliberkom, Prevalje and other private collections.

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Preserved customs and traditions

 

Preserved customs and traditions of the inhabitants of the Geopark area are only a part of the intangible heritage. This also includes folk traditions with fairy tales, sagas and legends about "Kralj Matjaž", the lakes, the Rosalia Cave, the "salty women" (žal žene) and others, as well as folk songs and literature. The living cultural heritage is manifested through numerous ethnological and tourist events such as the Snow Castles of "Kralj Matjaž", the Tourist Week in Črna (Turistični teden v Črni), the Carnival in Kotlje, the meeting under the linden tree "Najevska lipa", the Bleiburg Meadow Market, the Farant Street Festival and the song revue "From Bleiburg to Dravograd".

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Two popular cultural destinations...

 

Two popular cultural destinations for art lovers from all over Europe are the Werner Berg Museum in Bleiburg and the Liaunig Museum with its collections of contemporary art in Suha.

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The work and the creation...

 

The work and creations of several important personalities have contributed to the promotion of the cultural and natural heritage in the Geopark area.

 

Cultural and historical sights of the Geopark Karavanke

  1.  Archaeological area in Javornik in Ravne na Koroškem
  2. Archaeological area in Turške šance on the Preški vrh mountain
  3. Churches of St. Anna and St. Wolfgang - twin churches above the village of Leše
  4. Church of St. Ursula on Ursula Mountain - the highest church in Slovenia
  5. St. Christopher's rock on the road to the Seeberg saddle
  6. Valley of Death (Dolina smrti) with an ore processing industrial plant, Žerjav
  7. Topla Landscape Park
  8. Old iron processing buildings and houses of miners
  9. Koroška Castle and Rural Museum (Koroški pokrajinski muzej) Ravne na Koroškem
  10. Archaeological Museum of Pilgrims Globasnitz
  11. St. Michael's charnel house in Libeliče
  12. Matjaževa cave
  13. Podzemlje Pece, Turistični rudnik in muzej (Underworld of Petzen, the tourist mine and museum)
  14. Mill Povhov mlin in Dolga Brda
  15. House of the Slovenian writer Prežihov Voranc in Preški vrh
  16. Homes of the miners
  17. Hemmaberg - Celtic and late antique settlement, Rosalia cave
  18. Štoparjev most bridge in Poljana
  19. Tabora, ancient Turkish fortress
  20. Globasnitz burial ground
  21. Katharina Kogel in St. Michael ob Bleiburg