Koroška

The region

Get to know Koroška

Koroška is the Slovenian part of the historic Carinthia, in the north of the country, near the border with Austria. It is a region of narrow valleys and forests, cut by the Drava, Meža and Mislinja rivers, with the Peca and Uršlja gora mountains to the south and the Pohorje massif to the east. The main towns are Slovenj Gradec, Ravne na Koroškem and Dravograd.

For centuries, the Meža Valley lived off lead and zinc mines and forges. In Mežica, the old mine has become the Podzemlje Pece, where you can tour the galleries on a small train and, on guided routes, go by bicycle or kayak on underground lakes and tunnels. Ravne na Koroškem has a tradition of steelmaking and was the home of the writer Prežihov Voranc; his birthplace in Kotlje is now a museum.

Peca, at over 2,000 meters, is the mountain of the King Matjaž legend, who is said to sleep beneath it with his army. On the summit of Uršlja gora there is a pilgrimage church and a mountain hut, from which you can see the Alps. The region’s trails are less crowded than those of the Julian Alps, and farm stays are a common form of accommodation.

Slovenj Gradec is a small town with a historic center, an art gallery and the title of Messenger City of Peace, awarded by the United Nations. The composer Hugo Wolf was born there. Dravograd, at the confluence of the Meža and the Drava, preserves the Romanesque church of Saint Vitus, one of the oldest in the country.