Sevnica
Where the Sava valley widens lies Sevnica, and a bit further south is Boštanj. The Sava is joined by the Sevnična stream from the north and the Mirna River flowing from among the Dolenjsko hills from the south. The entrance into the Mirna Valley used to be protected by the Tariški grad Castle and the narrow part of the Sava valley by the Boštanj Castle.
The picturesque old town core is squeezed between Castle Hill and the Sava. The Sevnica Castle is first mentioned in writing in 1309 but it had been built far earlier. Its present form dates from the 16th century. Near the castle is also Lutrovska klet with reach pre-Baroque figural paintings. It was used for religious purposes and as a Protestant shelter. Jurij Dalmatian, who was the first to translate the Bible into Slovene, also used to teach in it. Today it houses cultural events.
Between 1970 and 1978, archaeologists unearthed Ajdovski gradec (436 m) above the village of Vranje near Sevnica. Ajdovski Gradec used to be one of the largest Early Christian centers in the Alps and the Danube basin. The size of the church -it was a basilica – was 14 x 7 m. Several other buildings were unearthed. The whole complex was burnt down at the end of the 6th century.
From the Breg, pri Kompolju leads a road to Lisca (948 m) which has great views of the surroundings.
Brestanica
At Brezovo, not far from Sevnica, the Sava turns east and runs across a kilometer wide plain – the Pijavško polje. The Brestanica stream flows into the Sava at Brestanica. In the Middle Ages, the entrance into the valley was protected by the Brestanica Castle, first mentioned in writing already in 895. Brestanica, the market town which developed under the castle, used to be called Rajhenburg.
An old legend has it that two brothers in the 15th century lived in a castle. They fought and one of them built a new castle by the Sava. The Rajhenburg Castle was bought by the French monks Trappists in 1881 and changed into a monastery. Trappists lived in it until WW II. During WW II it was a detention camp through which over 45 000 Slovenes have passed when the Germans exiled or deported them to concentration camps. The castle today houses the museum whose collections remind us of those difficult times.
Krško
Krško sits at the beginning of the Posavje Plain between the Sava and Libna gora ( 354 m ). The old town core lies on the other side of the river, squeezed between the river and the slopes of Trška gora ( 369 m ).
In Roman times the road from Neviodunum to Celeia led through Krško. During the Middle Ages, a strongly fortified castle guarded the passage from the plain to the Sava valley. The town was fortified by walls as well and there was a river port on the Sava.
The first school in Krško was established as early as 1564 by Adam Bohorič who wrote the first Slovene grammar book. The system of writing he used was named after him “bohoričica” and remained in use up to 1839.
Above Leskovec, a Krško suburb is the Šrajbarski turn Castle. In its neighborhood, the enlisted army strongly defeated a horde of peasants during peasant uprisings.
The road from Krško joins the main road from Ljubljana to Zagreb at the Krakovski gozd forest known for its centennial oak trees. It is the largest flatland forest in Slovenia. Near Krško is also the nuclear power station, the only one in Slovenia. Along the road linking Ljubljana and Zagreb, near the village Drnovo, was a Roman town Neviodunum.
Capuchin library in the center of Krško is one of the numerous witnesses of the rich history of these parts. Others are archeological finds from the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages remains of the Roman town Neviodunum, early Christian center on Ajdovski gradec above Vranje, Brestanica Castle, and numerous other castles in this fertile wine-growing area which is as small and varied as Slovenia.
Leskovec is now a Krško’s suburb.
Sevnica Castle is perched above the old town core of Sevnica. It houses the School and Firefighting Museums.