Ribnica, Maršiči

The great twin towers of St. Stephen's dominate the attractive old town of Ribnica, situated in a lovely river valley and surrounded by heavily wooded hills. The ancient walls of the 10th century castle enclose a tranquil park commemorating centuries of important cultural figures born in the Ribnica valley. Among these are the composer Jacobus Gallus, linguists Dr. Ivan Prijatelj and Stanislav Škrabec, and the first cartographer of Slovenia, Peter Kozler. The castle itself houses a charming archaeological museum and a magnificent collection of local arts and crafts including the famous wooden ware and pottery. The 19th century church of St. Stephen is one of the largest in Slovenia, its present twin towers a later addition by Jože Plečnik. Not far from the town centre is the village of Hrovače, where the former home of Stanislav Škrabec has been beautifully restored.

A short distance from the north-west of Ribnica is the beautifully located Church of St. Ulric at Maršiči. This exquisite small church is decorated with lovely early 16th century frescoes, painted in a colourful folkloric style. The principal images are of the Journey of the Magi and Nativity, and the well-known painting of a pilgrim in the form of a fox. This well-defined allegory combines Reformation ideas with a traditional folkloric depiction of an animal – a beautiful short essay in humour and history.