Holiday apartment in Nazarje: Vrbovec Castle and monastic culture

Nazarje reveals its special character where rivers and history meet. Vrbovec Castle stands at the confluence of the Dreta and Savinja rivers. The course of the Dreta also leads directly to Nazarje: after 29 kilometres, the river reaches the town, where it flows into the Savinja as a right-bank tributary.

Culture

Vrbovec Castle dates back a long way. The original castle was built by the first half of the 12th century at the latest; it is believed to have acquired its present form around 1480. The Vrbovec Museum of Forestry and Woodworking was opened in the castle in September 2001. It presents the movable cultural heritage of forestry and woodworking in the Upper Savinja Valley and focuses in particular on the lives of charcoal burners, carters, sawmill workers and raftsmen.

The Franciscan Monastery is also part of Nazarje’s historic character. The present Church of the Annunciation in the monastery was completed in 1661. It is a Renaissance building with a Baroque interior. In 1747, 193 stone pilgrim steps and four pilgrim chapels were also built at the Franciscan Monastery. The library in the Franciscan Monastery was founded in 1752. Its collection includes parchment manuscripts from the 11th and 12th centuries, Primož Trubar’s 1557 translation of the Gospels, and two Dalmatin Bibles from 1584. The monastery library’s collection is open to the public.

Another trace of the monastery’s history leads to the Poor Clare nuns: after an absence of almost two hundred years, they returned to Nazarje in 1978. Different eras and religious traditions therefore stand side by side in Nazarje, from the castle’s early origins to the more recent history of monastic life.

Nature and trails

The Samostanski hrib nature and cultural heritage educational trail was established in 2003 and has been maintained by the museum ever since. Following its renovation in 2024, it is called Samostanski grič. The renovated educational trail begins at the Vrbovec Museum, leads uphill to the Franciscan Monastery, circles it and returns along the bank of the Savinja to a viewpoint in the castle.

The Dreta also offers its own way to experience the landscape. Along its well-preserved natural banks, it is suitable for long, pleasant walks and especially for fishing. Thus, peaceful paths and an explicitly mentioned opportunity for fishing meet along the river, while the castle accompanies the course of the Dreta and Savinja as a distinctive geographical landmark.

Local highlights

A characteristic structure in the town is Bohačev Toplar, a large double hayrack in Nazarje. The farmers’ market in Nazarje offers, among other things, homemade meat products, mill products, preserves, vegetables, eggs and honey.

Those comparing holiday apartment options in Nazarje can check the specific key details themselves on the respective pages. These include the exact location, the type of accommodation and the permitted occupancy. Included services, individual price components, and booking and cancellation conditions can also be compared. Reviewing these fields provides a clear basis for making your own comparison before a decision is made.

Other places

More town pages: Rečica Ob Savinji, Bočna, Radegunda, Solčava, Šmihel nad Mozirjem, Luče, Mozirje, Ljubno ob Savinji

To the higher-level travel overview: Mozirje.