Halfway between Ljubljana and Zagreb, the capital of the Dolenjska region reveals some unexpected heritage in a meander of the Krka. An essential place to stop before you go on to explore the chateaux, caves and vineyards of a region with a rich and varied history.

This is one of those charming, tucked-away provincial towns that tourism sometimes stumbles across. The 20,000 or so inhabitants of Novo Mesto in the south-east of Slovenia have preserved and maintained the heritage that points to the strategic importance of the town in the past, located halfway between the capitals of Slovenia and Croatia, Ljubljana and Zagreb. As a commercial, cultural and religious crossroads, Novo Mesto is an attractive old town in a bend of the River Krka, characterised by streets with shopping arcades, old houses that seem to cling to the rocks and an interesting and richly decorated Gothic church, the Kapitelj. The town is also home to the Dolenjska Museum, primarily known for its superb archaeological collection, and a wide array of sites and monuments including the City Hall, the Breg neighbourhood, the bridges over the Krka and more.

Looking beyond the town itself, the Dolenjska region is renowned for its happy combination of unspoilt nature ringed by mediaeval castles. Whether your route takes you along the river or into the heart of the forest, the castle of Otocec on its island, as well as Graben, Kamen, Novi Dvor and Hmeljnik are not to be missed. As you travel from one to the next, be sure to visit the famous Slovenian vineyards and the country’s no less symbolic caves, sunk into the kartic hills like holes in a piece of Swiss cheese.