FINALIST#6: The Story of Mikul in Kostel

Kostel is a geographically small but varied forested landscape along the southern border Kolpa river. With less than 700 inhabitants, it is one of the smaller Slovenian municipalities, but with its cultural and natural heritage it easily surpasses even the largest. The biodiversity of flora and fauna is a magnet for a genuine holiday for modern urban man, as Kostel is free of any industry and environmental pollution.

The Kostel castle was built in 13th century, and it is the second largest castle complex in Slovenia and the only one with a living settlement, just after Celje. Due to its exceptional strategic position, it has always played an important defensive role, especially during the Turkish invasions. Ownership passed between several well-known families, and the castle was twice completely burnt down. The modern reconstruction of a part of the castle complex offers guests an unforgettable experience with various contents.

God and the devil have always been present in Kostel. God is supposed to be everywhere, but the devil has settled on Mikul’s homestead in Trg pod gradom. He loved to eat beans, but if it wasn’t cooked just right, he threw hard beans at people. They wanted to get rid of him, but no wonder he didn’t want to leave, as it’s very nice here. Follow its popular trails, e.g. the 3.5-kilometer circular path that leads through three typical Kostel villages, through a forest with beautiful watercourses and along the edge of the Krajc-Bukovje forest reserve, which is considered one of the lowest fir habitats in Slovenia. An urgent stop at the Padovac farm, where Mrs. Anica cooks a devilishly good Kostel stew and, in addition to home-made fruit juices, also serves real Kostel brandy.

Kostel is a land of water and the roadside waterfall Nežica with a well-kept footpath to the spring is a real natural sanctuary, where you can hear the magical music of water, and the view rests on tufa thresholds overgrown with green moss. The waterfall is named after the girl Nežica who fed a pair of oxen in the village of Drežnik above the spring when the ground broke under their weight and pulled them into the depths. After a heavy downpour, the water below the source of the Prifarski ditch flooded an ox yoke wrapped in a light strand of Nežica’s long hair.

The Dinaric-Karst terrain in Kostel is full of underground caves and other karst phenomena, but the Stružnica plateau continues into the 874-meter-high Kuželj wall, with a natural 7-meter opening, the Kuželj Window, once called Small door. There are several starting points for accessing the window, and the reward is the same in any case – a beautiful view of the Upper Kolpa Valley and the Croatian Gorski Kotar.

The special feature of Kostel is also that you can’t get a bed just like that. The offer is boutique and so is the experience with the providers who offer an authentic Kostel experience to their guests. The same goes for the culinary offer. Master chef Marko Rugole is the one who cooks at least 600 liters of goulash a year, but there is not even a spoonful left. Which is not at all strange – all the ingredients of his dishes are carefully and diligently grown at home.

Day 1
10:00 – 14:00 Visit of the Kostel Castle; guided tour with a local guide; Castle Escape game; castle tea picnic with local delicacies and drinks
14:00 – 17:00 In the footsteps of the legendary Kostel devil Mikul
18:00 Accommodation and overnight stay at one of the Kostel providers

Day 2
9.00 – 12:00 Nežica Waterfall – Kostel natural sanctuary
9.00 – 12:00 Window or door above Kužje?
13:00 Lunch at the Rugole farm in Bosljiva Loka
15:00 Swimming or rafting on the Kolpa river

Contact of the Provider:

Zavod za kulturo in turizem Kostel
Vas 4
SI-1336 Kostel
T: +386 (0)1 8948 070; M: +386 51 328 682
E: info@kostel.si
www.visitkostel.com