Interested in Slovenia's industrial heritage? Visit Technical Museum of Slovenia
If you are like me and always try to explore a foreign country on a deeper level, museums are great to do so. Just around 25 kilometers away from Ljubljana, tucked away in a small village of Bistra, Technical Museum of Slovenia can be found. The museum is perfect for a half-day trip from the capital.
There are many ways to reach the Technical Museum of Slovenia from Ljubljana (by car, taxi, bus or train), but if you are keen on cycling, rent a bike and before visiting the museum, explore the remote villages along the Ljubljana marshes, making yourself a perfect day.
It was a rainy Saturday and we were stuck at home, not knowing what to do, when I got an idea. Why wouldn't we visit the Technical Museum of Slovenia? It has been ages since I was there and my two boys have not been there either.
A wide range of collections
The Technical Museum of Slovenia was opened with its first collection in 1953, but now the exhibition space spreads over 6,000 square meters, offering more than 10 different collections – to name a few: printing, agriculture, textiles, fishing, water driving machinery, wood working…
While my husband was impressed by the road vehicles collection, which also includes 15 cars used by the President of Yugoslavia, Marshall Tito, I was fascinated by its wildlife collection. I must admit, the showcases with wild stuffed animals of which I have seen some for the very first time, except from books and TV, were truly amazing.
A walk into the past
You might not be a big fan of science and engineering, but visiting the Technical Museum of Slovenia will definitely inspire you. Apart from learning about the Slovenia's industrial heritage you will also be able to enjoy walking around the former Carthusian monastery, into which the museum is set in.
Besides the gorgeous setting of the Technical Museum of Slovenia, which, by the way, offers some great photo motives, we loved the fact that there were still running old water mills. If we were there on a sunny day, the scenery would be idyllic for some romantic feel. No wonder weddings are held there as well.
Nice diversions are also museum’s workshops and demonstrations of old crafts, which are mostly being held during weekends.
History lesson for kids
The museum is nicely organized for children as well. There’s also a nice park within the museum, which is great to enjoy when the weather is warm and sunny. You’ll be relaxing on a bench while your kids will be fooling around, after getting a dose of history lessons.
But unfortunately there’s also a big downside - due to the narrow staircases, the majority of museum’s collections are not accessible to people on wheelchairs or families with baby strollers.
The Technical museum of Slovenia was a great spent day. Even though it was raining outside, we had fun learning about Slovenia’s heritage, which is slowly being forgotten among younger generations. I cannot wait our little munchkin grows up so I can visit the museum with him too and teach him more about the time of his grandparents.
